


Murder in Beacon Hills

by Shinigami24



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Canon, Blood, Child Abuse, Claudia Stilinski mentions, F/F, F/M, Flashbacks, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Mates, Murder Mystery, Mystery, Protective Derek, Slow Build, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-18
Updated: 2013-10-12
Packaged: 2017-12-08 19:22:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 44
Words: 57,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/765085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shinigami24/pseuds/Shinigami24
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A crime wave hits Beacon Hills, and Stiles & Co play detective.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. October 4th

**Author's Note:**

> Betsie here with my second fic; Murder in Beacon Hills. I've always wanted to write a murder mystery, but I got writer's block at some point, only recently did the bunnies begin to cooperate. I have many plans for this fic, with no end in sight yet! So right now, I'm not exactly sure how many chapters to expect.  
> This takes place in canon, but the timeline went au when Kate Argent got caught before she could set the fire. The Hale pack are still alive, but they left town. Peter is completely sane, despite the fact he still has his sassy personality. Chris and Allison moved to Beacon Hills years early, so Allison, Stiles & gang are close friends. Derek's trust issues aren't as bad as in canon. Stiles loves to play detective, and is usually getting in numerous scrapes because of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I only own the plot and the original characters I created.  
> ETA: Jeff Davis finally got around to giving Stiles an actual first name, same with his dad. So I am changing the names to reflect canon.

The residents were going around doing their usual business, when the black camaro pulled up on Main Street in the town of Beacon Hills. A few minutes later, after the black camaro parked in the nearest parking lot, three familiar strangers emerged.

There were two strange men and a young woman. The woman was age twenty-two with long black hair and hazel eyes. The older male was age thirty-eight with short black hair that was slicked back. The younger male was age nineteen going on twenty, with similar coloring as the female, only he had short black hair.  The older male pulled off his sunglasses to reveal similar hazel eyes.  The younger male was scowling, and didn't look thrilled to be in Beacon Hills. His fellow traveler spoke.

"Come on, Derek! It's not so bad here. Who knows, maybe you'll find your mate here?" she said, only to receive a death glare in reply.

"And why would I want to be here? In the town where everyone nearly died?" Derek Hale retorted. He was referring to the incident that had caused the Hales to leave town. He didn't understand why his parents had ordered him to return with his sister and uncle. There were too much painful memories for him to be fully at ease. Before a fierce argument could break out, Peter Hale intervened.

"Calm down, Derek! Your parents sent you here for a reason. Laura, don't encourage your brother," he chided. Laura Hale relented, and stepped away, as Derek looked at his uncle curiously.

"Why are we here?" he finally spoke.

"In that order, a friend sent me a letter, your parents think we need to return. And you need to face your demons, so you can move on with your life," Peter was unrepentant.

"What now?" Laura wanted to know.

"Now we eat lunch, then you make some calls to find out the state of the house. See if it needs to be either fixed or rebuilt. And I find a hotel for us to stay in for tonight." Peter replied. Derek gave an involuntary twitch, as the group continued walking in the nearest diner.

* * *

Thirty-eight years old Chris Argent frowned as he finished re-reading the letter from his former high school classmate and friend. The man with short blond hair and blue eyes was still puzzled by the letter, accompanying a near last minute party invitation. Just then his daughter Allison entered the kitchen with one of her best girlfriends, Erica Reyes.

"Dad?" Allison Argent asked curiously as she studied her father's troubled expression. Allison was seventeen years old, with shoulder-length wavy black hair and brown eyes. Chris snapped out of his thoughts and forced a smile.

"It's just this letter Rob sent me," he replied to his only child's query.

"If you're sure, can we go over to Stiles's house? Lydia will meet us there. We need to find something for him to wear to the party tomorrow night." Allison explained her plans to her dad.

"Does Stiles know to expect you?" Chris arched his eyebrows, he briefly pitied the poor hapless boy. He wouldn't know what hit him when the girls descended on his house.

"We're not giving him any chances to lock the door on us!" Erica cackled. Erica was sixteen years old going on seventeen, with shoulder-length blond hair and blue eyes. Her feisty attitude more than made up for her epilepsy.

"Alright, you can go, just be back by dinnertime," Chris relented. The girls waved goodbye as they left.

* * *

About a half hour later, Scott McCall was perched on a bed watching three teenage girls browse through their mutual friend's things. The seventeen years old asthmatic boy had short curly black hair and brown eyes.

"Hoodies?" Lydia Martin raised her eyebrows, as she reached in the closet and pulled out several hangers that consisted of varying colored hooded sweatshirts. The seventeen years old girl had wavy strawberry blond hair with twinkling green eyes. Lydia's long hair had been tied back in a bun for the occasion. She hid her brilliance under a vapid exterior. She also could be frightening at times, especially when she got angry after one of her frequent arguments with Jackson.

"There's nothing in here but flannel, jeans and band shirts," Erica informed the group, as she slammed the final drawer shut. She shook out her frizzy hair.

"They're comfortable!" Stiles Stilinski yelped in protest from his perch in his desk chair, running a hand over his buzzed brown hair. The teen was sixteen going on seventeen, and had moles dotted on his skin here and there to go with his amber brown eyes. While Stiles was brilliant and usually got good grades except in chemistry, his ADHD frustrated most people. The teen tended to be hyper and had short attention span at times. Stiles would research odd topics such as male circumcision, then write a paper on said topics. He used sarcasm as a defense, tossed out his own ideas of word definitions and was constantly asking both Scott and Danny that Question. Scott just wanted to know when his friend would finally come out of the closet and admit his sexuality. His questions about his attractiveness was far from subtle even for Scott. So far Danny had either ignored Stiles's questions or flat out refused to answer.

"There's nothing in here to wear," Allison announced looking disappointed.

"I have an idea! Since there's nothing in here, why doesn't we try the mall instead? Surely there must be something, that Stiles can wear." Erica announced evilly. Scott winced as both Lydia and Allison brightened. A moment later, the trio of girls descended on Stiles, as the latter begged for mercy.

* * *

Four hours later, Sheriff Noah Stilinski entered the house, wearing his brown uniform. The widower was in his forties, with light brown hair and blue eyes. John had just finished working for the day. After removing his jacket and taking off his holster, Noah entered the kitchen and headed straight to the sink to wash his hands. His miffed son was putting the food platters on the table. Wait miffed? Noah glanced at the table and saw tonight's dinner menu. The food consisted of burgers, coleslaw, sweet potatoes, and pasta salad. There even was a basket filled with whole wheat rolls. Stiles carefully set two tall glasses filled with milk down on the table. Noah groaned, and tried to protest the dinner menu, only to have to face Stiles's death glare, and a kitchen knife aimed threateningly into his direction.

"Not a word! I had to spend three hours in the mall, trying on fancy clothes in front of the mirror. Dress shirts, blazers, slacks, suits, you name it! Lydia was ready to put a tux on me, before Allison talked her out of it! Erica tried to suggest getting me new shoes. Luckily Scott remembered, that I already have dress shoes, so that plan was nixed. But I still had to get some new socks! Anyway, you can deal with eating healthy!" the furious Stiles ranted. Noah just sighed, there was no use reasoning with his only child when he was angry, he took after his mother; Claudia in personality, complete with temper. A few minutes later, the father and son duo sat down to eat their dinner. Noah picked up a burger and took a bite, to his horror, the burger was made from tofu! Noah glared at his now smirking son, as he continued to eat his burger. When dinner was done, they started to clear the table. Stiles took a covered dish out of the refrigerator.

"Ta da! Low fat strawberry shortcake for dessert! The taste doesn't really change, only it is healthier," he announced.

* * *

While Noah and Stiles were sitting down to eat their dinner. Derek was sitting in the hotel lobby reading a newspaper, while waiting for his uncle and sister. They were to meet in the lobby so they could go out to dinner somewhere. As Derek flipped the pages, a stranger entered the hotel lobby, carrying bags. The stranger headed straight for the front desk, just as Derek glanced up briefly.

The stranger was a male in his thirties, that bore a striking resemblance to the pro wrestler and artist Jeff Hardy. He was dressed in all black, complete with tiger, dragon and tribal tattoos. When the clerk looked up, the male spoke.

"I have a reservation, under the name Hades Black," he rumbled in a deep brass. A few minutes later, Hades headed to the elevator with his bags and key card. The elevator doors opened and Peter and Laura exited. The pair and Hades passed each other, and Laura glimpsed Hades. Just as the doors shut, Laura's eyes went wide. The pair continued on and met up with Derek.

"Does he look familiar?" Laura asked her male relations, as the group started to exit the lobby.

"He looks like that wrestler and artist, Jeff Hardy." Peter commented.

"His name is Hades Black, so he must be a lookalike," Derek responded.

"He must be here for Rob's party," Peter deducted. He was referring to the party invitation, that he received with his letter. The group shrugged and kept on walking.


	2. October 5th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A favor is asked and Stiles plays detective.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Betsie here with chapter 2. I'm updating my tags.  
> There will be a scene of violence towards a minor, so readers may want to skip the final scene.

The Hales were in middle of the woods, looking over their three-story wooden house. The exterior bore scars and proof of the attempted arson. The windows were grimy while the wood was charred. There were damages in various places, like the roof and some of the pillars.

"It needs to be fixed," Laura said as she stared at the rundown house.

"How can we make sure the hunters won't try to burn us out again?" Derek responded in a wary tone. In addition to the trauma he had suffered from trusting the wrong person, he was afraid of fire.

"Add some additions like smoke alarms or wards around the house," Laura suggested.

"We need experts for this. Where are the numbers for the carpenters and the Johnsons?" Peter asked as he searched through his phone contacts. The Johnsons were some friends of both him and his siblings that owned a carpentry business.

"While we're at it, we need to get the original blueprints from city hall," Peter said as he checked his watch. "It's about time for lunch. I'll meet up with Rob, so you can have the afternoon off." The siblings nodded as they checked out their house. It would be remodeled, and they were looking forward to living in their childhood home again. As they left they wondered. How could they protect themselves from future pain? 

* * *

Grace Winters led Chris inside her husband's study. Rob was already there talking with a friend. Rob's friend looked really familiar to Chris. As they stepped inside, Chris started to put the pieces together.

"Boys, we have a visitor," Grace smiled. The men's attention were caught by the woman's announcement. Chris's eyes widened in shock as he recognized the friend. He recognized that dark hair and facial structure anywhere. It was an old flame of his-Peter Hale. Peter's expression mirrored Chris greatly.

"Why have you called us here?" Peter asked after he managed to regain his composure.

"I have a problem, and I need your advice. This concerns the both of you," Rob started. The man got up from his seat. His short brown hair framed his face and his blue-grey eyes. He walked closer with Peter following right behind him.

"We're listening," Chris said.

Rob began, "My daughter, Tara, was attacked by a wild dog. Or so we thought."

"Her eyes flash gold or purple when she gets angry or feels extreme emotion. Her senses are keener. She can smell the faintest of perfume and complains of headaches when someone shouts," Grace adds.

Peter replied, "And?"

"And I think that she's a werewolf, and I don't know what to do. Tara is only ten," Rob pleaded.

Peter spoke, "We don't start to turn until we hit puberty, but it does sounds like a werewolf bit her. Fortunately, my parents are in the progress of moving back, so we can help Tara when she starts to go through the bigger changes."

Chris added, "It would also be better if we could find the Alpha. Just to see if he has bitten anymore people. I gave up hunting when Kate got arrested, but I can still help."

"Would Tara mind describing the dog that bit her?" Peter asked.

"I can do you one better, she's in the den. For now, she's being home schooled," Rob explained. Peter and Chris nodded. Rob smiled and led them to the den to meet his daughter.

* * *

Stiles met up with his friends in the cafeteria. He took his usual seat and started to eat his food. Stiles decided to watch and study his friends at the table. He usually ate with the girls and Scott, but he invited Boyd and Isaac to talk. He wanted to make friends with them. Lydia had invited Jackson to sit with her, too. Because they were basically a package deal, Danny sat with Jackson.

Jackson was one of the co-captains on the lacrosse team. He had short blond hair and blue eyes. Jackson was egotistical and very determined to be the top dog. As a result, Jackson acted like a total jerk to everyone. Lydia and Danny were the only ones that could effectively rein him back in.

Danny had short brown hair with brown eyes. He was the goalie and the other captain on the team. He was openly gay and well liked by everyone. He got along pretty well with Scott and Stiles. Apparently, everyone loves Danny.

Vernon Milton Boyd IV was a quiet loner who preferred to go by his surname. He wanted to avoid the teasing that came with growing up when Harry Potter was the pop culture fad. His skin and eyes were dark and his head shaven.

His friend, Isaac had curly blond hair and blue eyes. Isaac had been outgoing once, but after his brother, Camden, died in combat, his personality had undergone a completely 180. He was quiet now and kept to himself. Stiles surveyed him closely before his eyes spotted something off putting. Was that...a bruise?

"Isaac, how did you get your black eye? What happened to your wrist?" Stiles fired off. Isaac paled as he pulled down his left sleeve down to cover the black and blue bruises.

"It's nothing. I just fell down the stairs, that's all," he said as he gave a forced smile. Stiles was skeptical, but he decided not to push it. He would wait and see.

* * *

 After school Stiles had some time to kill, so he decided to watch people. It wasn't a creepy activity at all. The teen swung by the local hotel. He sat himself down on one of the over-sized sofas in the lobby and flipped though a newspaper. As he turned the pages, he studied the guests that came through.

An over-affectionate couple stepped out of the elevator as a classical blonde beauty, in fashionable clothes, entered the lobby with shopping bags. A redhead rushed out of an elevator, heading for the computer, and nearly ran over a man with dark hair that was carrying his laptop case. Another blonde woman walked through the lobby in a pure white robe, walking to the pool area.

He even saw Jeff Hardy exit the elevator. Wait...what?!

Stiles did a double take. He definitely had to be Jeff Hardy,  but that couldn't be possible. If a pro-wrestler was coming to Beacon Hills, they would have said something on the news. It had to be a lookalike.

While he was staring unreasonably hard at the person, he failed to see the person towering over him. It wasn't until a deep voice grabs his attention that he stopped staring.

"Who are you?" the dark-haired man that was towering over him growled. He had short dark hair and looked pretty young. His hazel eyes bore into Stiles's heart, and he also had fine cheek bones. His face was clean shaven. He emitted an aura of wariness and sadness. He also looked familiar, so Stiles didn't see the harm in answering the question.

"Stiles Stilinski, you?" he asked. The man's face went from menacing to surprised in a nanosecond.

"The Sheriff's kid?" Stiles nodded before grabbing the man's arm and dragging him to Stiles' height. The man was forced to join him on the sofa.

"Yeah, now sit down. You're too tall from this angle." Stiles concluded.

"My name is Derek Hale," Derek finally said. He didn't know why, but his instincts told him that he could totally trust Stiles. He didn't feel the way he felt after _she_  had betrayed him. A few minutes later, Derek walked away. Stiles raised his eyebrows, musing over his new friend. He was a weird one, wasn't he? Not one for talking.

* * *

 Isaac was sitting down to eat dinner with his father. He stared at his hands as he pulled pieces of bread off and popped them in his mouth. He was focusing on his hands and not really attempting to make conservation. Nowdays, he didn't know where the fine line between nice and complete psychopath laid with his dad. 

"How was your day?" Mr. Lahey asked. Isaac shrugged. The older man growled and let his fork fall onto his plate with a sharp clank. Isaac jumped and looked at his sole parent.

"Answer me, Isaac Andrew. How was your day?" the older male repeated. This time Isaac was swift with his reply.

"It was fine, dad. Totally fine."

"Oh really?" Mr. Lahey mused. "Well, what happened?"

"Same old, dad. Nothing exciting," Isaac responded. He had a feeling that he should run away, but he stayed. Running wouldn't do much right now, but anger his dad further. He knew a drunk dad was a belligerent and violent one.

"Don't lie to me, Isaac," his father growled. "Why the hell do I get looks every time I go out? You must have done something!"

"I've done nothing!"

"Exactly! You're a worthless piece of life!" That set Isaac off.

"The only thing I've done is been beaten by you. the only reason they look at you is because they see the bruises and black eyes and cuts. They see that you're a shit father!" Mr. Lahey growled. He swept the plates from the table and advanced to his son.  He swung his hand back and slapped his son sharply.

"God no," Isaac breathed. He stared at his dad. The man was trying (and failing) at apologizing. Isaac did nothing but turn and run. He ran, forgetting his bike. He didn't stop running until he couldn't hear his father's voice. 


	3. Party Gone Wrong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party gets underway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the beginning of the party arc.

Chris arrived at Rob's manor home with Allison and Stiles to find several cars already parked on the lawn.  After managing to find a suitable parking spot, the trio walked up to the house. There was a queue of guests in the front hall. Rob and Grace were welcoming their party guests. When it was Chris's turn, he introduced everyone.

"Meet my old friend Rob Winters, and his wife Grace. Rob, meet my daughter Allison, and her best friend, Stiles Stilinski." Chris said.

"Nice to meet you," Rob smiled, as he shook everyone's hands.

"How did you get your name?" Grace asked Stiles politely.

"It's nice to meet you too," Allison smiled.

"My mom gave me a horrible first name. 'Stiles' is easier to pronounce." Stiles explained. He desperately hoped that no one would ask him his actual birth name. His name was too humiliating to reveal! Moments later, the trio were entering the ballroom where the reception would take place.

* * *

While Chris was introducing everyone, the Hale trio were making conservation with the other guests. A famous writer named Rose Johnson, was excitedly talking about her upcoming book. 

"It'll be a best-seller I guarantee it," Rose was saying.

"What kind of book is it?" Laura asked, trying to be polite.

"A tell-all book, it will either make or break my career. I already sent my manuscript to my publisher," Rose answered.

"What kind of details are in it?" another guest Hermes Fletcher asked.

"The kind that will make your jaw drop," Rose revealed.

"Oh, what fun," Peter commented.

* * *

A hour later, Laura had been cornered by another guest named Apollo Prewett. The man was movie-star handsome with blond hair and light blue eyes. The man had taken a fancy to Laura was was currently trying to charm her, despite Laura's obvious lack of interest. He was attempting to use various pick-up lines.

"Baby, you must be a broom, cause you swept me off my feet," Apollo was saying. Laura was extremely irritated, and wishing that the toe rag would just leave. Yes she had read Harry Potter. Good grief, wasn't the opening line he had used more than enough?

"'I'm Mr. Right, someone said you're looking for me,'" he had said when he introduced himself. Laura's wolf was livid and wanted out. So she could tear the nuisance's throat out. The interloper was not _mate!_ How dare he imply he is _mate?_  

"Are you cold? Because I've been undressing you with my eyes." Apollo said, renewing his efforts. That did it! Both wolf and human sides were in complete agreement, this creep must die! Just then a redhead girl showed up, and grabbed Apollo by the ear.

"I apologize for my idiot brother. Ever since he got discovered, he thinks he is god's gift to all women. Despite the fact, that some of them are clearly taken or not even interested." the young teenage girl said to Laura.

"What is your name?" Laura asked curiously, wanting to know the name of her rescuer.

"My name is Artemis," the redhead said, as she towed her protesting brother away. A few minutes later they were out of earshot, Laura sighed into relief, before straightening up to go in search of her uncle and brother.

* * *

In the meantime, Jackson and Lydia were returning from the bathroom. As the couple passed the stairway, that led to the second floor, they saw Hermes coming down the stairs. Lydia gave the dark-haired man a strange look.

"I had to use the bathroom, and it was occupied." Hermes said, as he gave a disarming smile. Jackson was about to make a smart-ass comment, when Lydia stepped on his foot, causing the jock to yelp in pain.

"Okay, do you mind leading us back to the party? We're a bit lost," Lydia said, choosing to let the strange matter drop. She would have either Danny or Stiles check out the man later. Hermes nodded in reply and started leading the way back to the ballroom. A few minutes later, the couple were twirling around the dance floor. When Jackson gave Lydia a dirty look.

"Why did you step on my foot?" the co-captain complained.

"We don't know what kind of person he is, he may end up causing trouble for us later. No, we can have Danny or Stiles check him out instead." Lydia reasoned. 

"You have a point," Jackson grumbled, accepting his girlfriend's logic.

"I always do, now lead." Lydia commanded. Jackson began to guide her around the dance floor.

* * *

Stiles was officially lost, so the teen gave up and began opening doors. He was hoping to figure out his current location. The boy found many bedrooms, storage closet, a library, a study, a bathroom, and a room with a pool table. Just then angry shouts erupted from a nearby room.

"You will regret this! I'll see you ruined!" a male voice yelled. A few minutes later, a door flung open and Rose dashed past. A familiar looking male followed, right on her heels still shouting threats. He passed by Stiles. The teen's eyes grew wide, that man was Ares Weasley, the famous pro football player! Ares's eyes narrowed as he spotted the teen.

"How much did you hear?" he demanded as he started to advance on the teen. Stiles gulped, as he backed up.

"I'm just lost!" he replied defensively. Ares was acting beyond scary, making the teen wonder if those 'rumors' held a grain of truth. All of sudden, Derek showed up out of nowhere. He took in the current scene and was not impressed. He stepped in front of Stiles, blocking Ares's way.

"Touch him, and I'll rip your throat out," Derek growled at Ares, as his eyes flashed electric blue. Stiles was staring at his new friend in awe and admiration.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment, critique, anything that lets me know if you liked this chapter or not!


	4. When It All Goes Downhill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party ends abruptly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back with chapter 4, I apologize if it is too short! I'll try to do better next chapter, I promise!

After Derek rescued Stiles, he took the teen back to the ballroom to introduce him to his relatives.

"This is my older sister Laura and uncle Peter, you remember Sheriff Stilinski's son," Derek said.

"You can call me Stiles," Stiles smiled and waved at the Hales.

"I remember you now," Laura smiled, she was curious about her brother's new friend. Ever since that incident, her younger sibling had been wary around anyone not pack.

"How did you meet?" Peter was just as interested as his niece.

"We met yesterday," Stiles answered vaguely, not really wanting to explain his hobby. He then changed the subject, with a fairly random question of his own.

"So am I attractive to gay guys?" Surprised looks met his question. Derek merely raised an eyebrow.

"You're adorable!" Laura cooed.

"Why did you just ask that?" Peter was trying hard not to laugh out loud.

"Danny won't answer me when I ask, and Scott has been giving me funny looks for months now!" Stiles pouted. He wanted answers!

"Of course, you're attractive!" Laura reassured the teen. After a few minutes of conservation, Stiles's stomach growled.

"Should we get something to eat?" Stiles asked blushing.

"The snack table is somewhere around here," Derek rumbled. The group headed in the direction of the refreshment table.

* * *

While Stiles was being rescued from the menacing Ares, Chris and Allison were searching everywhere for him. They went around the ballroom asking everyone if they had seen a teenage boy with a buzz cut wearing plaid. The guests all had varying reactions while questioned. Hera Malfoy had sniffed disdainfully. Zeus Dumbledore gave vague answers. Dionysus Snape hissed and cursed. Aphrodite Delacour had attempted to flirt with Chris, much to the watching Allison's annoyance. Apollo had used his ideas of pick-up lines on Allison, only to be faced with a livid Chris. Lydia had been livid when she learned that Stiles had defied her. Much less had the sheer nerve to commit a faux pas at a formal party! But no one had seen Stiles. A few minutes later, the duo met up with Peter. The man nodded to Chris's query.

"He's with my nephew and niece at the snack table. Strange kid, he and his questions," he commented.

"What kind of questions?" Chris spoke warily. He never knew what to expect from his daughter's male best friend.

"He wanted to know if he is attractive to gay guys," Peter answered.

"Only Stiles! And that's why we think he is gay." Allison replied. Before she grabbed her father and dragged him away to mingle with the other guests.

* * *

Several minutes later, the Hales had joined a group of guests. Allison, Chris, Jackson and Lydia were among the group. Laura and Allison got along like a house on fire. Lydia was angrily lecturing Stiles.

"I expected better from you! Formal attire is a suit or white tie! Plaid flannel and jeans are definitely not even acceptable!" Lydia scolded. Stiles was cowering behind Derek. While even Jackson was looking wary, he really didn't want to get involved in that mess! Finally Lydia wound down, just as a slow song started playing. Lydia dragged Jackson off to the dance floor and several of the guests paired up. Laura and Allison ended their conservation, and checked their fellow guests. When everyone were paired up, the duo turned to their relatives.

"Derek, Stiles would like it if you danced with him." Laura was saying to her brother, when Allison pushed the shocked Stiles in Derek's arms.

"You two would make an adorable couple, so you should dance." Allison suggested evilly.

"Erica is a bad influence on you," the flustered Stiles glared at his best friend. Derek started to drag Stiles on the dance floor, while the girls went over to Peter and Chris. About fifteen minutes later, Peter was grabbing Chris by the arm and rushing on the dance floor to get away from Laura. He knew perfectly well that his niece would try to embarrass him.

* * *

After Peter escaped from Laura, he and Chris were on the dance floor. Peter was leading, while the men danced in sync but awkwardly. No one knew how to break the awkward silence. They didn't know how to move that wouldn't bring them any closer than they were right now. Chris studied his dance partner closely. Peter had aged well over the last twenty years. His black hair was slicked back. His jaw was square, his hazel eyes was still the same. While Chris was studying Peter, the latter wasn't sure how to express himself.  silence. Even after twenty years, Chris still missed his former lover. Peter was always his home away from home. He made him feel free and comfortable. Chris loved Peter deeply and regretted ending the relationship. But he didn't know how to tell his old flame that. What if it was too late for a second chance?

* * *

While the former lovers were reflecting on the past, Derek and Stiles were swaying to the music. Surprisingly the friends felt at ease with each other. Derek felt deep inside that he could trust the younger boy. His wolf was completely content. It was a surprise to Derek, his wolf had disliked Kate.

 _Why do you like my new friend?_ Derek silently asked his wolf side.

 _Mate,_ the wolf rumbled.  After Derek recovered from the shock, he decided to wait. He didn't want to get in trouble for dating the sheriff's underage son. Just then Stiles tugged at his shirt. Derek bended his neck down slightly to look at his younger dance partner.

"This is me thanking you for the dance," Stiles blushed before he kissed Derek on the cheek. Derek was surprised by the kiss. Eventually he recovered to continue guiding his mate around the dance floor. As the song was coming to an end, the lights went out.


	5. Party Chaos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek and Stiles discovers a surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I worked hard on this chapter. As promised, it more than makes up for the last few chapters!

When the lights went out the guests erupted into confusion and a bit of panic. Someone even screamed, then everyone began talking all at once.

"What was that?!"

"What happened with the power? Is it just the house that is affected or is it the entire neighborhood?"

"What's going on?"

"I knew it! We're cursed!"

"Dear, where did you put the flashlights? I may need to check the generator." Rob said to his wife. Before Grace could answer, a furious roar could be heard from close by. The spine-chilling howl silenced everyone for a moment before panic set in. Everyone burst into frantic chatter upon again.

"What on earth was that? A stray dog?"

"Is a rabid dog nearby? We should call animal control!"

"You never told me there were wolves around here!" someone screamed in fright.

"Don't be silly, there are no wolves in California!" both Stiles and Lydia said at the same time.

"That howl was deep. I know it's a male," Peter commented. Several nerve racking minutes passed before the lights came back on much to everyone's obvious relief.

"I'm going down to the basement and see what went wrong with the power," Rob spoke with Grace.

"Take Keegan with you just in case," Grace requested.

"Alright, can you please check upstairs? The howl came from that general area." Rob directed his request to his friends.

"We could check it out. We can't risk it," Chris whispered. He knew it was too dangerous to just let the rogue go unchecked.

"Sure, we may need help checking all the floors," Peter answered.

"We'll go," Stiles volunteered. He really wanted to get away before Lydia tried to pump him for details about his recent dance. Derek nodded his agreement. After Peter gave his confirmation, the group started to head upstairs.

* * *

Upon reaching the second floor, everyone split off in pairs. Derek and Stiles continued to the third floor and the attic, while Peter and Chris tackled the second floor. When they came upon the first door, Peter spoke.

"Why don't I take this side, you can take the other side?" Chris nodded his agreement, then went to the left side, while Peter went to the right. They started opening doors in tandem and switching the lights on. There were an assortment of rooms including a playroom filled with book shelves, toy chests, and play furniture, a storage room, and an art gallery. The art gallery was filled with paintings from various eras and sculptures. During their search they found Hephaestus Potter and Athena McGonagall in one of the suite bedrooms. The kissing couple froze when Chris turned the lights on. Then Peter and Chris found Zeus in the art gallery. Zeus was studying one of Claude Monet's paintings with keen interest. He froze when Peter cleared his throat.

"Ahem, mind explaining exactly what you are doing in a room that is off limits? Those paintings and sculptures are rather expensive," Peter arched an eyebrow.

* * *

Back in the ballroom, the girls and Jackson were mingling with the other guests. The chatter was quite subdued. The festive party mood having been ruined by both the power outage and the eerie howl. Jackson saw a familiar face, abruptly he went over to Hades.

"Can I have your autograph Mr. Hardy?" he asked. Allison, who had been watching, decided to take a closer look. Her eyes abruptly widened in horror, she turned to Lydia.

"Um, I think that is a lookalike," she whispered to her female friend. Lydia rushed over to the duo with Allison in tow.

"Excuse us!" she frantically apologized to the annoyed Hades.

"We're sorry," Allison added. Meanwhile after Lydia spoke with Jackson in furious whispers, the latter was looking horrified.

"I'm sorry!" Jackson spoke quickly. Hades smiled and walked away not wanting to continue the conservation any longer.

* * *

In the meantime, Laura was in the family room in another wing on the first floor. The young woman was meeting her new pack mate Tara and her younger sister Aurora. The girls had blond hair and green eyes. Tara's eyes kept flashing between gold and violet due to her extreme agitation.

"I heard him calling me!" the girl was rocking back and forth with both hands covering her ears.

"That howl was scary!" five years old Aurora informed Laura.

"Don't worry, my brother and uncle and their friends are looking for him now. We won't let him get you," Laura promised the girls. The girls hugged Laura.

"Thank you," they said.

* * *

While Peter and Chris were discovering not everyone are where they are supposed to be, Derek and Stiles were finishing up in the attic. After the attic was cleared, the duo backtracked to the third floor, and resumed their search. They started opening doors and turning on the lights. During the search they discovered a variety of rooms including a greenhouse and an observatory. In the greenhouse, they discovered one of the guests. Elizabeth Jones was visibly nervous, giving a start when Stiles opened the door. Dionysus was pacing the floor in the observatory when Stiles opened the door. He spun around and saw the boys. He shoved past the boys and tried to make a break for it, only to have Derek snag the back of his jacket. 

"Why did you run? What are you doing up here?" Stiles fired off his questions.

"Nothing of your business!" the man retorted.

"None of the guests are allowed to be up here!" Derek growled at the intruder.

"Let him go, we need to finish checking the floor," Stiles reminded his friend, realizing their current situation. Derek loosened his grip on the wayward guest. Once he was freed, the man stomped off. After the man was well out of both sight and earshot, the duo continued their floor search. After Derek nodded to indicate the linen closet was clear, they moved on to the next door. Derek opted to open the door, and turn the lights on, revealing a study. Stiles moved in the room, and discovered paper scattered on the floor. The desk was nearly overturned and frames were broken. The place was a mess.

"That's weird. Does your uncle's friend know anything about this?" Stiles spoke looking around in confusion. This was beyond strange.

"Nope, he would have warned us if he knew," Derek responded. The wolf was on guard, he did not like his current situation in the least. It didn't sit right with both his wolf and human sides. The friends ventured further in the study cautiously, planning on searching the room for any clues pointing to the culprit. After a few minutes of searching, Stiles discovered something and tugged at Derek's shirt.

"Do you see something?" he asked, pointing at an object on the other side of the desk. Derek took a closer look, the object in question was a red shoe attached to a foot.

"Yes," he said as he went to take a closer look with Stiles in tow. They found Rose lying on the floor in an awkward posture. Her face was pale and slightly blue. A pillow lay nearby with red lipstick marks in the middle.

"Oh no," Stiles breathed as he ran to kneel besides Rose, and began searching for a pulse. A few minutes later, he shook his head.

"There's no pulse," he informed Derek.


	6. Chaos Among Ourselves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the lights are back on, things can only get worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back with a new chapter. At the end of this month, I'm going out of town for about a week and half or so. Where I'm going, I won't have Net access. So I'm trying to complete 8 chapters for both fics before I go.

After Stiles made his declaration, Derek was stunned speechless. A few minutes passed before Derek recovered from his shock to speak.

"We need to finish our search. Let's see if the person or persons involved with her death is still here." he spoke. Stiles nodded his agreement. So the duo continued their search. They went over every exposed inch of the room, checking every nook and cranny. After they finished their search and found nothing, Stiles turned to his friend.

"There's nothing here, except that hanging door, but it's too small to hide a person," Stiles concluded.

"What door?" Derek asked turning around. Stiles pointed to a swinging door in reply.

"This!" he said. Derek walked closer to the door, and pushed the door open further.

"It leads to a wall safe, it is empty except for a strange playing card." he spoke.

"Empty? It means there's a thief and a murderer on the loose!" Stiles started freaking out.

"We need to find Uncle Peter and Mr. Argent, fast." Derek grabbed the scared teen and started to drag him out of the room. Several minutes later, the duo found the older pair on the second floor. When Derek released his grip on Stiles. The teen ran up to Chris and started talking frantically all the while flailing his limbs all over the place.

"There's a dead body upstairs! And an empty safe to boot!" he yelled.

"Calm down, Stiles! Now, what do you mean by a dead body?" Chris asked.

"The writer Rose Johnson is dead. We found her body in the study upstairs. The wall safe in there is also empty." Derek answered. Peter and Chris exchanged horrified looks.

"How did she die? Was there any strange wounds like from teeth and claws?" Peter asked. Both boys shook their heads.

"No, she was smothered." Derek answered. After the two men exchanged looks, Chris started to head towards the stairwell.

"I'm going to get Rob. He really needs to be told." Chris explained.

"In the meantime, you can take me to the study and show me her body." Peter said to the younger pair. The trio started to head back towards the third floor.

Within fifteen minutes, police sirens could be heard wailing in the distance. Several minutes later, the sheriff and the deputies were in the study. While the crime techs were cording off the study, and taking photos. Noah was giving Stiles a strange look.

"Stiles, what are you doing here?" Noah was confused to see his son at a murder scene. Granted his son loved to play detective but his previous cases never involved death. They were simple things like burglaries or missing items around the house. Usually Scott or his mother Melissa would enlist Stiles for such cases.

"Dad!" Stiles squeaked.

"You do remember Peter Hale and his nephew Derek." Chris began.

"Yes, I remember them," Noah spoke looking at the Hales.

"My nephew Derek and your son found the body," Peter answered.

"The pillow was smeared in her lipstick. It looked like chaos. She was so pale." Stiles began rambling as he gestured at the crime scene to his dad. In the meantime, Noah was slowly losing his mind. He had never wanted his only child to place himself in danger. If Stiles ever got hurt, Claudia would find a way to come back as a ghost to haunt him! He knew that once Stiles calmed down that his son would soon be on the case. Once he saw a puzzle to solve, he was determined to see it to the end. Eventually Noah calmed down and started to take everyone's statements.

* * *

"There's a playing card," a deputy mentioned as he examined the wall safe. Everyone were going over the crime scene, the males had headed downstairs after they gave their statements. Only Rob had been allowed to remain.

"What kind of playing card?" Noah questioned.

"An ace," the deputy answered.

"That's the calling card for an international jewel thief, Scathri. Interpol is after him or her." another deputy spoke. Rob turned pale with horror.

"Does that mean he was in my house killing someone?" he spoke weakly.

"Murder isn't his usual MO, so I doubt he is responsible for Ms. Johnson's death. No, we are looking at two separate crimes and looking for two different culprits." Noah reassured Rob.

"Sheriff! We found something!" a female deputy called for her superior. A male deputy was holding up a piece of paper.

"It was in the trash can," he explained pointing towards the metal trash can.

"We emptied the trash cans, right before the party!" Rob protested. 

"So it has to be recent," Noah concluded. A deputy was waving another piece.

"There's more pieces," he explained.

"The script are similar." a female deputy studied the pieces.

"There's a signature," another deputy waved a piece.

"It's in pieces!" a male deputy protested.

"Put the pieces together, I want to see what the paper says," Noah spoke. Someone turned the trash can upside down on the desk. It took a good while, but eventually a complete note formed to reveal.

"Must speak with you about an urgent matter. See you tonight in the mansion study at 8 pm. Hope you get what you want coming your way." a deputy read.

"She was lured here!" another deputy breathed into dawning horror.

"This was premeditated murder," Noah spoke grimly, not liking the possible outcome. He just knew that his son would somehow get mixed up in the mystery. The fact that the note had been destroyed could only mean one thing. The killer definitely did not want to get caught, and would do anything to get out of going to prison, including murder. He remained in deep thought trying to think of ways to protect his only child. Eventually he gave his people his complete focus.

"We need to get everyone's whereabouts for tonight. Ask them their alibis for between 7:50-8:30 pm. She's all yours, get me the autopsy report when you're done." Noah ordered. As the scene techs converged on Rose's body and began to move her to the gurney. The deputies started to file out of the room.

* * *

 Lydia, Allison and Jackson were in the ballroom talking with the other guests when they first heard the police sirens. Laura had returned by then, and was currently speaking with Allison.

"What's that?" Jade Wilson asked in confusion when the sound of wailing sirens could be heard.

"It's the police!" Hestia Abbott wailed into terror. The woman was looking horror stricken.

"The police? Why would they be called?" Artemis wondered out loud.

"Good question, the only crime that has been committed is Stiles's faux pas." Lydia spoke flatly.

"Regardless of the reason why, they are here now." Margaret Brewer announced as she peeked outside.

"Great! Now the party is officially ruined!" Jackson complained. Several minutes passed before Derek and Stiles entered the ballroom with Peter and Chris in tow. The adults left to speak with Grace.

"What happened?" Lydia immediately pounced on Stiles.

"Remember the writer Rose Johnson? She's dead, we found her." Derek responded.

"But why call the police for that?" Allison asked confused.

"Because she was murdered." Stiles replied flatly. Shocked silence fell before all the hell broke loose. Some of the guests were in sheer panic. Some confused guests were asking Grace questions. Some guests even tried to leave, only to find the exits blocked. It was pure chaos when Noah and the other officers arrived to take everyone's statements. Several long moments passed before the uniformed officers managed to restore order. Then one by one, the guests began to give their statements.

* * *

About a hour later, Noah was talking with Peter quietly. While Derek and Stiles were saying their goodbyes.

"Can we meet tomorrow?" Stiles asked his new friend.

"Sure," Derek responded. He wanted to get to know his mate. While he was willing to wait, there was nothing illegal about being friends. The duo decided to exchange phone numbers with a promise to meet up the next day.

* * *

Chris was dropping Stiles off at home. Allison was plying her friend with questions, as the friends sat in the back seat.

"How did you and Derek meet?" she began.

"We met at the hotel earlier," Stiles shrugged, as he waved a careless hand.

"Where were you earlier? We looked everywhere for you!" Allison asked.

"I got lost," Stiles replied sheepishly.

"How did you end up with the Hales?" Allison continued with her line of questioning.

"Derek rescued me from Ares Weasley. He got mad because I overheard him threatening Rose during their argument." Stiles admitted.

"An argument? I hope you plan on telling your father," Chris called from the driver's seat.

"I plan to! I want to check him out." Stiles replied. He really wanted to solve the mystery!

"Anyway, did you enjoy yourself on the dance floor? I saw that kiss," Allison smiled mischievously.

"You're evil!" Stiles mumbled as he blushed furiously. Just then the car pulled in the Stilinski driveway. Stiles hopped out of the car.

"Thanks for the ride and the invite." he smiled at his friend and her dad.

"You're welcome," both father and daughter said.

"See you tomorrow." Allison added. Stiles nodded, then he turned and headed inside his own house.


	7. October 6th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hales move in.

Stiles and Noah were in the kitchen eating a healthy breakfast. Stiles had made a meal of scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, and oranges to go with coffee and milk. Stiles had relented and allowed Noah to have hash browns. Noah was just glad that his son had yet to switch to decaf. He needed actual coffee to make it through the day! In between bites of food, the father and son pair discussed the day's plans, due to it being the weekend.

"Since the murder and robbery occurred last night, I have to go in for work. Will you be fine by yourself?" Noah spoke.

"I'm fine, dad! I have plans anyway." Stiles responded. Just then the doorbell rang. Stiles excused himself and headed for the front door. Stiles opened the door to find Keegan standing on the front porch. He seemed nervous and worried.

"My dad is still here if you want to see him." Stiles spoke as he took in his classmate's worried face.

"It isn't the sheriff I need to see. It's you." Keegan answered.

"Me, why?" Stiles was surprised.

"Because-wait can we finish this talk where no one else can overhear us?" Keegan started.

"Sure, come in," Stiles stepped back to let the other boy in. A few minutes later the duo were in the den seated in chairs, the other boy continued to speak

"I heard about your past cases. That you solved the O'Reilly, Calhouns and MacKenzie robberies." Keegan spoke.

"That is true, what is the point?" Stiles replied.

"My point is I need help. Remember last night someone robbed us? Well there were family heirlooms in that safe. My mom wants them back. However my parents have other priorites on their plate at the moment. A theft is the least of their worries. Can you please take this case?" Keegan finished. 

"Of course, I can take the case." Stiles reassured his classmate. Keegan sighed in relief, then the boys began to discuss the terms of the case.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Stiles had finally finished eating his breakfast and helped clean up the kitchen. The doorbell rang and Noah left to answer it. He returned with the Hales.

"Derek?" Stiles' eyes widened upon seeing his new friend and his relatives. The trio were carrying their luggage.

"We're staying here until our house is fixed." Laura explained. Stiles was overjoyed.

"How long? he asked.

"Between three to six months," Peter spoke.

"Can you help them settle in? I have to go in now," Noah spoke. Stiles nodded then turned to their new house guests.

"Sure, dad! Come on, follow me. I can show you where you are staying." he spoke, as he started to lead the way upstairs.

* * *

A hour later, Peter left to meet Chris. Laura was meeting old friends. So Derek and Stiles lounged in the den talking. Just then Scott arrived with the girls. The door was unlocked so they let their-selves in. Erica and Scott stared at Derek with confusion. Lydia and Allison's eyes widened in recognition.

"Who're you?" Erica asked watching the tall stranger curiously.

"This is Derek Hale. He and his relatives are staying with us for the next few months until their house is fixed. Derek, you remember Lydia and Allison. The blond 'Catwoman' is Erica Reyes. The boy is Scott McCall, my honorary brother. Erica and Scott are some of my best friends." Stiles introduced the teens and Derek.

"Really?" Allison smiled mischievously. Scott was staring at the newcomer with shock. Lydia was plying Stiles with questions.

"Is Derek your boyfriend?" Erica asked with interest. Stiles started to splutter. Derek remained stoic-faced, showing no expression.

"Anyway! I called you here to help." Stiles explained after he regained his composure.

"This is about last night?" Allison asked.

"Right! There's the murder case and the robbery. Keegan asked me to take the robbery case. The thief stole some family heirlooms." Stiles explained.

"So two cases then?" Lydia concluded.

"Yes," Stiles answered.

"So where do we start?" Scott wanted to know.

"The usual, check the crime scene and talk with potential suspects. Right now, let's begin by following up with Rose Johnson's family. Get a idea of what kind of person she was. And find out how her last days went." Stiles answered.

* * *

Peter and Chris were searching for the alpha. They had followed the fresh scent from Rob's house to the woods. There, the scent went in all directions. Chris was disappointed.

"A dead end," Chris groaned. Peter was beyond livid. He was on the verge of losing control and shifting. Chris noticed his companion's fury, and began trying to calm the fuming wolf down. While Chris was whispering comforting words to Peter and rubbing his back. Peter's fury had abated, and he was currently pondering on the status of their current situation. When had they went from awkward lovers to this? Why had their relationship ended in the first place?

* * *

Laura stopped by the grocery store to get something to eat. As she was wandering through the store, she got side tracked in the first aid area. When she collided with a teenage boy, both went sprawling on the ground. He was an adorable kid with those curls and blue eyes. He reminded her of a puppy.

"Excuse me," Laura apologized to the boy, as she stood. The boy looked shocked.

'Why was he so shocked? Had anyone ever apologized to him?' Laura wondered. In the meantime Isaac was panicking, he had never dreamed that he would run in anyone. Usually the store was rarely occupied at this time of day. All he wanted to was to buy the ice pack and other supplies he needed and get the hell of there. Laura was frowning in concern as her keen ears picked up the sound of a rapid heartbeat from the younger boy.

"Is there anything wrong?" she spoke. Isaac jumped at the sound of Laura's voice.

"It's nothing!" he spoke frantically. Laura noticed a reddish bruise on the teen's face. Wait was that a hand print?! She rapidly made up her mind right on the spot and took out a notepad and a pen. She wrote something on the pad and tore the paper out to give it to Isaac.

"Here's my number if you need someone to talk with. That's my temporary address." Laura spoke. Isaac nodded slightly.

"Thank you," was all the boy had to say before he rushed out.


	8. Curious Case of Stiles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles tries to dig deeper in the murder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Betsie here with chapter 8. Beginning next Wed, I will be out of town for nearly 2 weeks. Where I'm going, I won't have unlimited access to the Internet. So this chapter should tide you over until then. When I get back, I'll have a new chapter or two. Enjoy!

Stiles and his friends arrived at two story New England traditional house in a quiet suburbia neighborhood. They walked up the path to the front porch. Stiles was carrying a platter of seasonal vegetables. While Scott carried a bouquet of white roses.

"How do you know where the Johnsons live?" Derek asked in confusion.

"I know everyone in Beacon Hills," Stiles explained.

"Ah! One of the bonuses of being the sheriff's son?" Erica asked.

"Yup," Stiles spoke proudly. The group reached the front porch and Allison rang the doorbell. A moment later, a man in his 50s opened the door. He seemed sad and angry.

"May we come in? It is urgent," Stiles spoke.

"Okay," the man answered. He both looked and sounded confused. But he opened the door further to let the group enter the house.

"The food goes in the dining room," he continued. A few minutes later, everyone were seated in the family room, and the food and the flowers had been put away. Rose's mother joined them. After a round of introductions were made, Mrs. Johnson began the conservation.

"Why are you here?" Mrs. Johnson wanted to know.

"I have some information you might want to hear," Stiles began then he went on to explain in detail the previous night's events.

"You found Rose?" Mrs. Johnson gasped. Both parents looked shaken.

"Yes, can you help me? I want to solve the mystery of her untimely death. That mean exploring this mystery to the fullest." Stiles answered. The elderly couple exchanged looks, while they were skeptical, they both knew that they didn't have much to lose. They wanted their child's killer brought to justice. 

"Okay we will help you," Mrs. Johnson finally spoke.

"Thank you. Now when was the last time you saw and spoke with your daughter? What was her mood like? Happy or scared?" Stiles began.

"Yesterday, at lunchtime. She was happy and excited about her new book." Ms. Johnson replied. At the mention of the words 'new book', Mr. Johnson erupted.

"I told her to leave things alone! No one appreciates having their skeletons unearthed!" the man shouted.

"What skeletons?" Stiles was confused. Realization dawned on Derek.

"Does that have anything to do with the book she was writing? She mentioned it last night," the werewolf spoke.

"What kind of book?" Erica wanted to know.

"She called it a 'tell-all' book. It is supposed to make jaws drop." Derek answered.

"We were against her new project. It isn't a good idea to borrow trouble. But Rose thought she was invincible." Mrs. Johnson took her husband's hand in an attempt to comfort him.

"What kind of topics were in it?" Stiles asked.

"Rose mentioned using secrets as camouflage to cover up her actual topic. Something to do with an unsolved case. She knew we didn't approve of her book. So she didn't tell us much. I do know that she kept notes and her research in her room." Rose's mother answered.

"Can we see the research? Any clues can be vital." Stiles spoke, his mind going back to the argument he had overheard last night. Could one of Ares's secrets be covered in Rose's book? It would explain his fury.

"Yes, please follow me," Mrs. Johnson stood up. The group followed her upstairs and in a bedroom. The walls was covered in rose wallpaper. There was a laptop in the center of the queen-sized bed. A desk was in a corner, while a filing cabinet rested against a wall.

"Rose hid her research for some reason. I do know she put some of her research in a box in the closet." Mrs. Johnson revealed. Immediately the group split up to search every inch of the bedroom. While Mrs. Johnson left promising to be nearby if they called for her. Stiles plopped down on the white comforter, and opened the laptop. He started trying to figure out the access password, while Derek opened the cabinet and started going through the files. Scott sat down at the desk and started pulling out the drawers to search. Lydia was going through her Dressers, while Allison and Erica searched the closet.

"I found something!" Erica shouted, as she dragged a storage file box with a lid out of the closet. Allison removed the lid from the box, then both girls started to browse through the box.

"A tape recorder, however the tape cassettes are missing," Allison frowned.

"Some files are missing too," Erica mentioned as she sorted through the folders.

"I found something," Lydia announced, holding up a jewelry case. Stiles went over to take the case and open it. He blinked in confusion.

"It looks like a memory card?" he spoke.

"Danny would know what it is," Scott mentioned.

"We need to have Danny look at it. Since it was hidden, the data on it must be important," Lydia spoke frowning. Stiles handed the jewelry case back to Lydia then went back to the bed.

"I got access to the laptop, however some files have been wiped," Stiles spoke.

"That's strange," Allison frowned. This mystery kept deepening. Meanwhile Scott was flipping through a notepad he found. Finally he froze at a page. He started calling for Rose's mother. When the elderly woman returned, Scott had a question for her.

"Is this Rose's handwriting?" he asked Mrs. Johnson, as he held up the notepad.

"Yes it is," Mrs. Johnson answered.

 _"What really happened on Nov 7, 1988?"_ Scott read.

"Does the question mean anything to you?" Stiles asked. The question was too board. There wasn't any names or locations mentioned so the teen had no idea where to begin searching!

"No it doesn't mean anything." Mrs. Johnson replied.

"Then I think we are done here." Stiles declared. The others started to clean up their mess, putting everything back when they found it. Lydia held on to the jewelry case.

"Can we keep those?" Scott wanted to know as he held the notepad.

"Sure however if Danny finds anything on the card and get the files back. We are handing them in to Dad." Stiles answered.

"Let's copy down that question in our notes," Allison suggested. Everyone nodded as they took notes for their casebooks.  After they thanked Rose's parents for their help, the group left the house.

"Where to next?" Scott questioned.

"Check the crime scene for clues for both mysteries. Scathri's MO is traditional safe cracking." Stiles answered.

"Can we split up? We will be able to cover more ground and get things done." Derek suggested.

"Great idea! Lydia, can you take the girls with you when you ask Danny for his help? We also need him to look up Ares, Hermes and Dionysus's background. Check to see if they have any criminal records." Stiles spoke as he handed the laptop case to Lydia.

"I can do that." Lydia answered.

"Scott you're coming with us. We need your help going over the crime scene." Stiles announced. Everyone nodded and went their separate ways.

* * *

 The trio of Derek, Stiles and Scott arrived at Rob's house. Scott rang the bell, a few minutes later Rob opened the door.

"Yes?" the man asked.

"May we come in? It is urgent," Stiles answered. Rob immediately led everyone to the den, within a few minutes everyone were seated. After Scott had been introduced to Rob and vice versa, Stiles launched in his explanation.

"Keegan asked me for help and I accepted. My friends are helping me with the cases of Rose and Scathri. In order for me to figure things out, I need to see the crime scene." Stiles explained. Rob was confused and he didn't know how to react. Why would a teenage boy concern himself with a murder? In the end, he spoke;

"Why would you want to investigate a murder?"

"Sheriff's son remember? Solving mysteries run in the blood." Stiles replied. Rob accepted that answer.

A few minutes later, everyone were in the messy study.

"Sorry about the mess, we are still cleaning up," Rob apologized.

"That's where we found Rose. The safe is right there," Stiles was showing Scott the exact location of the crime.

"I doubt that we will find any clues here." Derek spoke as he checked the safe.

"However, since the theft was done on short notice, let's check the outside. He had to hide the jewels somewhere." Stiles mentioned. Scott crossed the room and headed to the sliding doors, leading outside. A few seconds later, the teen was exploring the balcony.

"Nothing," he replied in disappointment, giving up and returning back indoors.

"That's okay, Scathri is a pro," Stiles reassured his friend. Meanwhile Derek was carefully going over the room searching for clues with Stiles. When Stiles noticed something out of the extraordinary.

"What's this?" Stiles walked closer to an overturned chair. Was that white?

"White gloves," Derek was kneeling besides the chair, he reached over to carefully tug the glove away when Stiles let out a yelp.

"Wait! There will be fingerprints!" Stiles exclaimed. He grabbed a pair of tongs from his bag and moved over to where the gloves lay. Derek stood up to speak with Rob.

"Does those belong to any members of your family?" the beta werewolf began.

"No, and they are definitely not mine." Rob replied immediately shaking his head.

"I think we are done for now. Can we leave? We need to examine the evidence." Stiles asked Derek. Derek nodded, and a few minutes later the trio were following Rob back downstairs.

* * *

 While the boys were exploring the study and finding clues, the girls were at Danny's house.

"We need your help," Allison explained to the goalie.

"We need you to retrieve data from this memory card and recover some files that were deleted from this laptop," Lydia handed both the laptop and the memory card to Danny.

"Don't forgot looking up those people and seeing if they have any criminal records," Erica added.

 "This is about the murder and the robbery that happened last night?" Danny asked.

"Yes, we're helping Stiles solve the mystery!" Erica chirped.

"And the sheriff actually allowed Stiles to try solving a murder?" the co-captain asked skeptically. Everyone knew well how protective the sheriff could be when came to Stiles's safety.

"I think Stiles will be well-protected," Allison chuckled, she still remembered what Stiles had told her about Derek coming to his rescue. Meanwhile Lydia was filling Danny in on the details of the recent developments.

"I can help, it should take me a few minutes to get everything you need." Danny replied.

"Good, you can join the meeting tomorrow morning," Lydia replied.

"Fine with me, since I want to join your group and help solve the mysteries. It interests me." Danny replied.

"Take it up with Stiles, but I think he will say yes," Erica said.

"Yes to what?" Jackson asked suspiciously. The jock had arrived in time to hear Erica's comment.

"You explain," Allison said, as the girls took their leave.

* * *

 After the girls left, the boys went to the backyard to practice lacrosse. Jackson was practicing scoring goals while Danny played goalie. Danny filled his best friend in on the recent events. Then Stiles turned up with Scott and Derek in tow.

"But Stilinski usually takes robbery cases!" Jackson protested in disbelief.

"Lydia said Stiles likes puzzles, and the mystery interests me. So I'm helping." Danny replied.

"Stilinski is an idiot so are you for joining in. Deal me in. Someone has to watch your backs," Jackson retorted. As he made his decision on the spot. Derek glared at Jackson as Stiles smiled and hugged Jackson. Jackson nearly puked.

* * *

Several hours later Stiles was setting the dinner platters and dishes on the table with help from Laura and Derek. Everyone were gathered in the kitchen for dinner.

"Dinner is pesto chicken florentine with crunchy bread and romaine salad." Stiles was saying.

"Why chicken instead of steak?" Peter wanted to know. Stiles twitched.

"My dad is on a diet, he has to eat healthy." he retorted. Derek shrugged, he had eaten healthy meals in the past. So he was used to it even if he preferred a steak.

"What is for dessert?" Laura asked curiously.

"Vanilla Lemon Berry Parfaits." Stiles answered.

"What kind of drinks?" Peter asked.

"You can choose between soda or juice," Stiles answered as he waved to the various selections in the garage. Immediately everyone went to get their chosen drinks. Then everyone sat down to eat dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know if the mystery is too easy or hard. It's my first time writing a multi chapter mystery! So I need to know if I'm doing it right.


	9. Snooping Isn't Easy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group tries to get another clue for the case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back with chapter 9. Sorry to take so long but I had some catching up to do, and I decided to do a double feature. Chapter 10 will be posted ASAP.

Everyone were seated in the den at the Stilinski residence discussing the case. Danny was explaining his findings.

"I found some suspicious photographs and a rough draft of something. I'm not sure what it is exactly. I was able to print them out if anyone are interested in seeing them, through." the tanned Hawaiian teen said.

"Yes, I would love to see them very much," Stiles answered. In reply Danny took out some printouts of his bag and passed them around.

"What about Ares Weasley, Dionysus Snape and Hermes Fletcher. Did you find anything?" Lydia wanted to know.

"Yes I did, they have almost all offenses known on their books. For an unexplained reason, all the charges against Ares have been dropped every time." Danny revealed.

"What was Rose doing with photos of a demolished highway, a house and four teenage girls?" Allison asked in confusion. The girl couldn't understand why the writer had those photos.

"Suspicious indeed! Those photos look like personal candids." Lydia mused as she peeked over her best friend's shoulder at the photos.

"The photo of the girls. It looks worn." Jackson was looking at his printout.

"Yes! That one is definitely older than the others, the coloring proves it. If you want, I can always ask Allison and Stiles's personal stalker to take a look at those. He's an expert, so this should be right up his alley." Erica announced.

"Erica! That's not funny!" Stiles glared at his unrepentant friend.

"Matt doesn't like us like that!" Allison protested. But a seed of doubt had been planted in her mind. In the meantime, Derek had finally managed to wrestle the wolf in submission for the moment. Due to Erica's bombshell, the wolf was bristling in jealousy. But Derek knew that Stiles would call him an idiot for being jealous of the little creep.

"Eh?! When did Stiles and Allison get a stalker?" Scott asked into confusion. Everyone face palmed.

"Alright! Back to the original topic, should we go with Erica's idea and ask Matt to look at the photos?" Stiles spoke up.

"Sure, but we should have either you, Allison or Danny doing the asking. And the person definitely should not go alone," Lydia decided.

"It was late fall in the state of California, the leaves were changing colors. When Alyssa-and it cuts off there." Derek spoke as he finished reading his printout. 

"I think that may be a rough draft for Rose's book. Maybe the cold case section of the book?" Lydia suggested.

"If it turns out to be the cold case. Then we have two more clues to go on. A place and a possible first name of the victim." Allison said.

"This mystery is so confusing! There's too many suspects and not enough clues!" Stiles complained.

"What do we do now?" Scott wanted to know.

"Since we have a long list of suspects, we need to begin eliminate names. So let's begin by confirming alibis. And someone needs to talk with Matt." Stiles began.

* * *

Laura showed up in time to join Scott and Erica, when the group went their separate ways. After a thorough search of the downtown district, the group managed to find the three women they were searching for at a diner. A moment later, the group were seated at a table, and being introduced to each other.

"Can we talk? We need to ask you some questions." Erica began.

"Sure," Hestia, Jade and Margaret Brewer said.

"For starters, how well did you know Rose Johnson? When was the last time you saw her alive? Did you notice anything out of the ordinary at the party? Even the smallest, insignificant of detail can be important. Finally can you tell us your whereabouts between 7:50 to 8:30 pm two nights ago?" Scott fired of questions.

"In that order, we were acquaintances. I didn't see anything, and I was in the ballroom the majority of the time. I only left to go to the bathroom," Hestia spoke in a rush.

"We were close friends. The last time I saw her was around 7:30 pm. She was heading somewhere, she refused to tell me exactly where. If I had known what she was planning, I would have tried to talk her out of it. As for seeing anything? Well several of the guests were not happy about Rose's planned book. Zeus Dumbledore and Dionysus Snape were behaving too suspiciously." Margaret revealed.

"I knew her, our careers sometimes overlapped. I don't know the answer to the second question really. Since I was busy taking pictures of the party for Rob and Grace. The question about my alibi? I can both answer and prove. Some of the couples wanted their pictures to be taken, in addition I also was taking photos of the desserts." Jade explained taking out a packet filled with photographs. The photos all had time stamps proving Jade's alibi. Erica began looking through the photographs.

"Lydia dancing with Jackson. Derek dancing with Stiles-wait a minute! When did this happen?" Erica demanded. Scott was looking stunned.

"Allison and I set them up. Doesn't they look rather adorable? And can I have a copy? I need to show it to my family." Laura chuckled. Jade produced a copy and handed it over in reply to Laura's request.

"Anyway who is Zeus?" Scott spoke up after he regained his composure.

"One of the party guests. Uncle Peter and Mr. Argent caught him in the gallery on the second floor." Laura answered.

"I thought the upper floors were off limits to us guests." Margaret raised her eyebrows.

"They definitely were," Laura said.

* * *

In the meantime, the trio of Derek, Stiles, and Allison found Hades, Hermes and Elizabeth in the park. When they were given their own round of questioning, the men were clearly offended while Elizabeth looked horror stricken.

"These questions are very specific. Are you accusing us of something?" Hades spoke. Despite Stiles's reassurances, the highly annoyed males took their leave. As the pair stalked away Elizabeth decided to speak. The young woman was clearly terrified.

"What I saw has me scared, and I'm not sure I want to speak about it." she spoke in a quavering voice. The questioning was clearly at an end, and the trio left the park puzzled.

* * *

After the trio left the park, they began heading towards Main Street. Derek and Stiles were discussing the recent findings. While Allison peeked in the windows of the stores and restaurants. All of sudden Allison froze and let out a shocked gasp.

"Oh my god!" the teenage girl exclaimed. The males stopped talking and turned to their friend in puzzlement.

"What is it?" Stiles asked. Allison pointed to the restaurant window she stood in front of in reply. Stiles went over to the after-mentioned window dragging Derek. When the duo looked in, they saw Peter and Chris sitting at one of the tables. The duo were laughing and smiling, all the while sharing their food. Now it was the male duo's turn to be shocked. Stiles froze while Derek glared at the utterly oblivious Chris. He didn't approve of his uncle's choice. How did he know for certain that the older male was nothing like his sister? 

"Looks like yours and Laura's plan worked." Stiles commented, after he recovered from his shock.

"Let's leave them alone," Allison smiled. Stiles nodded his agreement, before dragging the glowering Derek away. All the while thinking about the older male's strange reaction.

 _Why does Derek dislike Allison's dad so much? And why does he has problems opening to anyone other than his uncle, sister and I?_ Stiles thought.

* * *

While the group were leaving Peter and Chris to their date. Jackson and Lydia were in at Lydia's house watching movies. Lydia was happy when Jackson was living in anguish. Lydia had chosen her favorite movie 'The Notebook' for the couple to watch. While Lydia enjoyed the romance, Jackson had fallen asleep and remained that way for the rest of the movie. When the credits started to roll, Lydia turned and discovered her boyfriend fast asleep. Immediately, she hit him over the head with a pillow. Jackson jolted up and stared at her like she was crazy. 


	10. October 12th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group continues to work the case as Derek and Stiles get close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: there will be some language and some abuse shown.  
> I claim creative license for some details mentioned in this chapter.  
> Finally, due to recent bombshells, I updated the tags and will be introducing a new character. Meet Cora Hale, Derek's younger sister.

Five days later, Derek and Stiles were at the movie theater. Stiles was looking shocked while Derek scolded the unrepentant trio of Lydia, Erica and Allison. The girls had plotted with Laura to set Derek and Stiles up on a date.

"But you make an adorable couple!" Erica protested. 

"I brought you these tickets and made reservations for you at frickin' Chilis. Now watch the show. I'm out of here!" Lydia exclaimed. Then the girls departed the theater leaving a shocked duo. Finally Stiles broke the shocked silence.

"I'm getting secondhand embarrassment from myself!" he exclaimed.

"Look, we're here. Let's just have fun." Derek spoke. As the boys joined the line for refreshments, Derek was silently plotting revenge on his older sister. He just knew that she had something to do with this little setup. He was suddenly relieved that the others hadn't been able to make the trip to their hometown. If his younger sister ever found out about the matchmaking attempts, then he never would be able to get a moment of peace! His sisters never had liked Kate. But Laura actually approved of Stiles and wasn't afraid to tell him so.

In the meantime, Laura had borrowed her uncle's laptop computer and was currently using Skype to chat with her younger sister. The seventeen years old Cora had been unable to join the trio, but she would be arriving in Beacon Hills soon.

"Big bro found his mate?" Cora asked her older sister.

"Yes, his name is Stiles. He is the sheriff's son. What did you think of the picture I faxed you guys?" Laura smiled.

"They're cute together! I can't wait to meet him!" Cora squealed. The sisters continued to gush over their brother and his mate.

* * *

While Derek and Stiles were sitting down to watch Star Wars VII, Lydia and the boys were checking yet another pawn shop. The trio had decided to try searching for the heirloom jewels. The search was proving to be hard and uneventful.

"Another dead end! Can we please throw in the towel and give up the search?" Danny begged.

"Yes!" Jackson backed his best friend up, seeing that she was outvoted Lydia had to agree. 

"Alright, I'll let the others know that this is a dead end." Lydia relented. The boys sighed in relief before everyone called it a day and went their separate ways. They had their own plans for the remainder of the day.

* * *

In the meantime, Laura, Scott and Allison were shadowing the suspects of Zeus, Ares and Dionysus. They watched the trio carefully from a distance and nearly stalked them into various places.

"Is it just me or does Zeus has expensive tastes?" Allison asked as they watched the man go in yet another antique mall.

"It's not only you, he sure likes old and tacky stuff." Scott complained. The girls turned to glare at the only male. Immediately Laura dragged Scott away. When the trio were several blocks away, the girls started to shout. While the girls were scolding Scott harshly, the boy was cowering. Finally while the girls were calming down, Zeus walked out of the antique mall, and the trio resumed following the man. Sadly, Zeus realized someone was following him and decided to turn the tables. A hour passed before Zeus lost sight of the mystery strangers for a split second. When he tried to search for them again, it was too late. They were gone and he was definitely lost.

When the trio realized Zeus had seen them, they decided to kill two birds with a stone, lose Zeus and find Ares. After ditching Zeus in the warehouse district, they managed to find Ares. The man was going in a bar. After Ares entered the bar, the trio followed him in a smoke filled room. They ended up at the bar, and ordered something to drink. When the bartender raised his eyebrows and asked to see some I.D.s. They pulled out their I.D.s and flashed them at the bartender so they could get some soda. In the meantime Ares was enjoying a beer when he saw the trio getting their soda.

' _Where do I know them from? Wait a minute!'_ Immediately Ares sped out with Scott on his heels. The man was trying to avoid the latter at all costs. Laura paid for the drinks and followed with Allison. Ares was nowhere to be found when the females exited the bar. Scott returned nearly out of breath and shook his head.

"He's gone! Now what do we do?" Allison groaned.

"We find Dionysus," Laura said.

The trio resumed their search and found Dionysus at the park. Ten minutes passed before the man realized he was being tailed and the chase began. Five minutes later, the group were outside the country club looking around. Dionysus had vanished in the crowd of people milling around nearby. A tent had been set up nearby, while the crowd of people dressed to the nines stared at the kids in shock. Just then the group saw the young woman wearing all white with a veil dancing with the man dressed in a fancy tuxedo. Laura's eyes went wide as realization dawned.

"We're at a wedding reception!" she spoke to her companions. Allison and Scott started freaking out.

"Can you please find Dionysus quickly? So we can please leave?" Allison begged. The older woman nodded and she resumed searching the crowd. She had his scent, where to find him? There! She zoomed in on a random waiter.

"Found him!" Laura declared pointing at the waiter pushing a cart filled with dirty dishes. Instantly the trio began to converge on the waiter, when the man looked up and spotted their approach. Immediately he shoved the cart at the nearest waiter, then ran for it. The group chased after him, but the suspect was too cunning and they lost him. Eventually the group was forced to give up their search and leave.

* * *

In the meantime, Noah received the autopsy report from the ME.

"The cause of death was suffocation. Pass it around. Now I need to get ready for the press conference with the mayor." he announced. As he passed the report to the nearest deputy and went to get ready for the upcoming meeting at lunchtime.

* * *

Derek, Stiles and Erica were entering the funeral home. They had heard that Rose's body was released. Stiles wanted to get a closer look at the corpse for any possible clues that the police had overlooked. Erica was more interested in how the date had went.

"How did the date go? Did you kiss?" the blond girl was saying.

"Erica! This isn't the time nor place to discuss this!" Stiles glared at his friend as he blushed furiously. Derek was pretending that he hadn't heard every word. The trio continued walking. All of sudden Derek went stiff as loud shouts reached the group. The terrifying and taunting yelling were coming from three feet ahead. The group were scared yet curious so they decided to venture further. So the group kept on walking until they reached the exact spot. The door leading to the basement was ajar. After finding hiding places at the top of the stairs, the group peeked inside. A horrifying scene met their eyes. At the bottom of the stairs Mr. Lahey were jerking Isaac around. The teen had large black and blue bruises. Abruptly the man shoved the whimpering teen in the freezer chest and slammed the door locking it. The group looked at each other in horror, before leaving to the police station to report what they had just seen.


	11. When the Truth Comes Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isaac is freed from his father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back with chapter 11, if it is too short, I apologize. This chapter is more of a filler. But the plot will start back up next chapter.

The trio of Derek, Stiles and Erica were in the den talking with Noah. An extremely upset Stiles was flailing all the while babbling.

"We saw...an-and we got scared." he was saying. In the end Derek grabbed Stiles by the wrists to stop his flailing.

"Isaac will be safe after his father is dead," Derek spoke, as he tried to calm his agitated mate down.

"We saw Isaac Lahey crying and pleading while his father beat him in a rage. He was laughing as he locked Isaac in a freezer chest." Erica spoke furiously. Noah was disgusted. After all this time, he finally had the proof he needed to arrest the man for child abuse. But he just wished that his son hadn't needed to witness the act. Noah stood up and headed to his car.

"All squads. We had a domestic disturbance at the Lahey house. I need backup." he spoke in his police radio.

* * *

About fifteen minutes later, everyone were gathered in the emergency waiting room at Beacon Hills hospital. While Melissa wheeled an unconscious Isaac in the ICU on a gurney.

"He's critical. In addition to a fractured arm, he might be suffering from hypothermia." Melissa said to the doctor in charge. As she started Isaac on another IV and started to clean the long cut on his cheek.

"Get the plaster and start him a hot bath," the doctor began firing off orders. As the team of doctors and nurses alike converged on their trauma patient.

Meanwhile in the waiting room, Lydia walked in with Danny and Jackson in tow. A few minutes later Boyd turned up looking worried.

"What's wrong with Isaac? How's he holding up?" he asked.

"It's anyone's guess. He was in the freezer for almost a hour." Noah answered. Everyone settled down for a long wait. After a nerve wracking hour, the doctor emerged from the ICU to speak.

"Mr. Lahey is going to be fine. We need to keep him here for a week, just for further evaluation." everyone sighed into relief. Then the sheriff sent everyone home to get some rest.

* * *

 While Isaac was being wheeled in the ICU, three men were in a meeting. Peter, Chris and Rob had gathered in Rob's office to discuss the alpha.

"We need a timeline," Chris spoke finally.

"A timeline of what?" Rob asked in confusion.

"Of when the alpha first appeared and all events following forth. If we can put together an exact timeline of the sequence of events. Then perhaps we can figure out who he is." Peter elaborated.

"Were there any other animal attacks before Tara's attack?" Chris asked.

"The rogue alpha might be a newcomer to the area. If so, we should check the FMV and see if anyone has registered for new license plates." Peter continued.

"I have connections, and should be able to run through the database." Rob spoke as he took out his phone and started calling his contacts.

* * *

The next day, Stiles called a meeting. Scott and Allison entered the den looking confused.

"Everyone's saying that Isaac's dad got arrested last night," she spoke.

"It is true. And we're the reason why he got arrested." Stiles began.

"How?" Scott wanted to know.

"When we were out searching on a lead. Erica, Derek and I heard screams. When we got to where we heard it come from, we saw Mr. Lahey beating Isaac. After that, he stuffed him in a freezer. So we went and told my dad." Stiles finished. Scott was looking angry while Allison looked both sad and upset.

"Stiles had the same reaction as you did," Erica told Allison. Stiles glared at Erica.

"Funny, you reacted the same way Scott is doing right now!" he fired back. Before a mini fight could break out, Lydia changed the subject.

"We searched all pawn shops in Beacon Hills and came up with nothing. What about you?" she spoke

"Jade was confirmed to have an air-tight alibi. So we can cross her name off the suspect list, and Elizabeth saw something, but she is too scared to tell us what." Scott answered. Then the group went to get something to eat and Scott called Melissa for an update on Isaac's condition.

* * *

Jackson, Lydia, Scott and Allison were out on a double date. The quartet were eating dinner at Olive Garden. The group had ordered salad, bread sticks, soup, and dessert. Scott had ordered Black Tie Mousse Cake, while Jackson chose tirimisu and the girls enjoyed Dolcini. In between bites, the group discussed Isaac.

"I thought something was happening but I wasn't sure what." Jackson remarked. He went on to explain the strange shouting he sometimes heard, from across the street at the Lahey residence. The other three were shocked. Then the group settled down to finish eating their dinner. They enjoyed their meal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone has any deductions about whom the killer is, please share them.


	12. October 14th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group takes another blow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back with another chapter, I had some free time on my hands.  
> Warnings: there will be some blood and violence in the last scene for this chapter. If you're easily triggered then please skip that scene!

The Hales and Stiles were at the Beacon Hills airport, waiting for a certain flight. The group was seated in the lounge. Peter had brought everyone soda, curly fries and burgers to eat. The group had been at the airport waiting for two hours and Stiles wasn't able to sit still.

"How much longer?" Stiles whined as he squirmed and wriggled around.

"Two more hours," Peter answered as he smirked and nearly laughed at the teenage boy's reaction.

"Two more hours?! No way! I cannot sit still for that long!" Stiles jumped up and grabbed Derek and started to pull him away.

"And where exactly are you planning on going with my younger brother?" Laura spoke as she raised her eyebrow.

"Exploring, Derek is coming because I need the company." Stiles answered as he dragged his friend away. The teenage boy was determined to keep his slowly blossoming secret crush under wraps for as long as possible. But he enjoyed his friend's company too much to be able to hide his feelings for much longer. Then the duo went exploring. They stopped and looked in gift shops, buying sweets. Eventually they returned to the lounge with their candy. After they sat down and shared their sweets, the group waited another hour before the PA system crackled.

"Flight 940 is landing." the PA system announced. The group jumped up and nearly ran to the gate. Moments later a girl with long brown hair and hazel eyes emerged from the gate carrying a backpack and a laptop case.

"Cora," Derek called out to the girl. Cora's eyes lit up and she ran to her brother and hugged him. Derek smiled as he returned the hug. Stiles hung back and watched the mini family reunion. Another moment passed, before Stiles found himself being smothered in a hug by Cora, much to the former's surprise. Eventually Stiles returned the hug as Derek and his family laughed at Cora's actions. Then Peter announced it was time to leave. So after they collected Cora's luggage, the group was off to the parking lot with Cora clinging to Stiles.

* * *

Boyd and Erica met at the cliffs in Beacon Hills for a private talk. Boyd began to talk.

"I have something to tell you. Hopefully it doesn't ruin our friendship. But I like you more than a friend." he spoke. Erica was overjoyed that her friend and secret crush returned her feelings. So she ran up and kissed Boyd. The boy gladly returned the kiss.

"Would you like to go out on a date?" Boyd asked after they came up for air.

"Yes, a million times yes!" Erica smiled, then they resumed their kissing.

* * *

About a hour later, everyone were gathered in the den at the Stilinski house. Laura introduced Cora to everyone, and Lydia was determined to get Isaac get well gifts.

"Isaac needs support and love from his friends." she declared. Everyone split up into pairs and headed to shops that sold plush toys and flowers. In the meantime, Stiles was filling Cora in on whom Isaac was. 

"What about this one? It should brighten his day." Cora held up a plush wolf with curly golden fur and blue eyes.

"Perfect!" Stiles smiled as he ordered a bouquet of pear blossoms, elderflower and white heather. In the meantime Jackson was searching for something for Isaac when he spotted Peter and got sidetracked. Abruptly Jackson went over to Peter.

"Rumor has it that you play tonsil hockey regularly with Allison's dad. Are you two dating or something?" the jock asked. Peter's eyes went wide and he glared at the teen. Stiles and Cora had overheard Jackson's question and were looking at the adult curiously.

"No, that's crazy. I'd never date him," Peter mumbled.

"Really? Mind explaining what you two were doing sharing your food and in general acting like you were on a date? Derek, Allison and I all saw you two last week." Stiles asked pointedly. Peter was stunned speechless as Cora squealed. Derek and Allison joined their friends in time to hear Cora's squeal.

"So you two got back together?" she asked. Everyone burst out laughing at the look on Peter's face before Cora's question sank in. As one, they all turned to stare at the girl with varying reactions.

"Can you please explain what you mean by that question?" Stiles asked.

"My parents told me that Uncle Peter and Mr. Argent used to date. They were adorable as my mom put it. And Laura used to call him 'Uncle Chris'." Cora explained. The boys started to laugh as the girls cooed over the now embarrassed Peter. As Derek watched the group laugh and coo over his uncle, he made up his mind to wait until they got back home, before he tried to corner his uncle. In the meantime, Peter was groaning and wishing that the ground would open up and swallow him whole.

* * *

In the meantime, Ares was resisting and being argumentative as two deputies escorted him in the questioning room. A few minutes later Noah sat down to begin the questioning.

"You're here for questioning of the murder at the party. We want to know what the argument was about." Noah began. Ares was clearly offended.

"I plead the 5th amendment and refuse to talk until I have a lawyer," the man spoke.

* * *

Lydia and Erica were getting out of Lydia's car. Since Erica was considered to be handicapped, the girl was unable to get her driver's license. So she chose to ride with her friend. Lydia headed to the trunk to retrieve the bags filled with gifts. Unaware that the girls were being watched.

_They were being utterly oblivious to his presence making them easy targets. They would be perfect additions to his pack. All he had to do was to give them the bite. But first he had to wait for the perfect moment to pounce..._

The girls heard a rustling sound and turned around. The rustling stopped, and when the girls turned back, it began upon again. Now both girls were suspicious.

"Let's get out of here, quickly!" Lydia suggested turning to her friend. Erica nodded as both girls picked up their bags.

"Okay," Erica agreed, as Lydia shut the trunk, and the girls sped up their pace. The pairs were nearly to the stairs, Lydia had just reached the door and was in the progress of opening it. When all of sudden something were on top of them. The bags fell to the ground, as Erica started screaming. Both girls stared at the large and dark form towering over them. The creature's eyes was a violent bloody red.

"Derek! Peter! Stiles!" Erica yelled, hoping someone would hear her. As the creature's mouth opened to reveal long and sharp fangs.

Meanwhile in Isaac's hospital room, the friends were getting increasingly worried.

"They are late," Jackson frowned.

"That's not like Lydia to be so late, especially since she went to so much trouble to arrange this gathering," Allison spoke.

"Let's check on them," Jackson suggested. Everyone nodded so Jackson left to search for the girls with Derek and Stiles in tow.

"Let's begin by asking Mrs. McCall if she saw the girls?" Stiles suggested as he spotted Melissa at her station. After the boys checked with the nurse,  the boys continued their search by checking the parking lots. So they headed towards the garage parking lot.

A few minutes later, Derek reached the top of the stairs and spotted the purple bags laying on the ground with plush toys and wilting flowers spilling out. Derek abruptly flung the door open and ran towards the girls screaming.

"Jackson! Stiles! Up here!" he screamed. Shortly, Stiles ran out of the doorway to find Derek on the pavement. The older teen was holding Erica in his arms. The slightly conscious blond girl was seizing.

"Look at her neck," Derek growled. Stiles went over to take a closer look at the place where her neck and shoulder blade met.

"Oh my G-she's bit!" Stiles screamed, freaking out at all the blood. The younger boy decided to check on Lydia too. So he headed over to where Jackson was holding his girlfriend. Much to his horror and dismay, Lydia was found to also be bleeding heavily from her neck.

"Help!" Stiles started calling, as Derek and Jackson stood up with their burden. They had to get the girls help, because they were losing blood fast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's what the meanings of the flowers are.
> 
> Pear blossoms: lasting friendship
> 
> Elderflower: compassion
> 
> White Heather: protection


	13. It's Time for the Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The attack on the girls forces the Hale family to reveal some things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back with another chapter. I'm trying to complete up to 16 chapters for both fics, before June ends. So expect chapters 13-15 to be posted over the following days.

The doctors and the nurses were going around doing their rounds. Some were checking their patients and their records. Some of the staff were discussing one of the new patients-Isaac Lahey. It was a typical day at the hospital. When all of sudden their usual routine were broken by the front doors being flung open and three familiar boys burst in. In their arms were bloody messes of two teenage girls. They were unconscious and mangled and on the brink of death.

"It's Erica Reyes!" a nurse gasped recognizing the blond girl. She and several nurses knew the poor epileptic girl. The girl would suffer severe seizures and be sent to the hospital for treatment.

"Someone please help my friends!" the sheriff's son pleaded with the staff. Immediately the staff started to converge on the group.

"I need gurneys and get their medical histories! They need blood transfusions stat!" a doctor ordered. Some nurses and orderlies left to get the required items. While some nurses started the girls on IV. And others started asking the boys questions.

"Do you know her blood type? Do you know who I can call for emergencies?" a nurse asked Jackson.

* * *

Four hours later Noah and some deputies found the boys seated in the waiting room outside the ICU. Isaac was seated nearby in a wheelchair holding the wolf plushie Cora gave him. The others had joined the group. Jackson had his head in his hands. Stiles was packing the floor, while Scott bit his nails in anxiety. The others all held worried expressions on their faces.

"What the hell happened? I get a call that two girls are bleeding and mangled in the ICU?" Noah announced his presence to the group of friends. 

"We were looking for the girls because they were late. We started with the outside garage parking lot and...there were so much blood, dad." Stiles pleaded with his dad desperately. Only when he got to the part about the blood, did the teen start to freak out and begin shaking. Immediately Cora went over to her new friend and started the task of trying to calm her future brother-in-law down.

"Dear God. Come here, son." Noah hugged both teens. Then Noah left with the deputies to head back to the station.

A hour later, a doctor emerged from the ICU with news.

"Ms. Reyes is stable and should be able to go home in the morning, but Ms. Martin will need to stay here." he started.

"How long will she stay?" Allison wanted to know.

"It could be a week. It all depends on how her condition progresses." the doctor answered. The group nodded and stayed for the remainder of visiting hours. 

* * *

In the meantime, Peter was in the middle of a three-way call with his older sister and brother-in-law. They were discussing the rogue alpha.

"He's trying to make a pack with teenagers. However, Tara's a young girl and my old friend's daughter." Peter was saying.

"Did the girls agree to being given the bite?" his sister's husband William known as Will to his loved ones asked. Will had taken his wife's last name.

"No," Peter shook his head.

"What are you planning to do to catch the rogue?" his older sister Talia Hale asked.

"We've tried tracking him All that happened were us ending up lost in the forest, with the scent going in all directions. It was utterly frustrating," Peter spoke. He was twitching in memory of his remembered rage.

"So did Cora arrive safely?" Talia quickly changed the subject topic after she sensed her brother's growing rage.

"Yes she did," Peter spoke relieved at the change of subjects.

"While we are on the subject of our kids. What about Laura and Derek? How are they doing?" Will spoke up.

"They are doing fine," Peter answered.

"How are things between Derek and that Stiles boy?" Talia continued with her line of questioning.

"Better, they're getting closer," Peter spoke.

"So, enough about the kids. How are you and Chris?" now it was Will's turn switch subject topics. Peter froze and tried to think of how to answer. Talia burst out laughing at her baby brother's discomfort.

"When are you going to quit pining after Chris and let him know how you actually feel? if you don't confess to him soon, I will tell Laura to either set you two up on a date or to lock you two in a warehouse lined with mountain ash." Talia taunted. As the female alpha continued to laugh, her male counterpart winced into sympathy. On the other end of the phone, Peter was grumbling about how mean Talia was being.

* * *

After Stiles and the Hale siblings got back to the Stilinski house, Stiles was led straight to the den. When everyone were seated, Laura started the conservation.

"This is a critical conservation. This might test your relationship with Derek." she spoke. Stiles was nervous. Was she going to tell him that Derek was dying or something equally as worse? 

"How?" he spoke nervously.

"Do you know what werewolves are? Humans that are also of wolf genetics. Well...that's our family." Cora announced.

"I don't believe it! Prove it!" Stiles breathed. For a reply, everyone including Peter who had just entered the room all transformed into full wolves with black fur and electric blue eyes.  The wolf that was Derek nuzzled Stiles, while Cora crawled into his lap.

"That's all?" Stiles sighed into relief as he hugged both wolves. Everyone were happy about the boy's reaction, while Stiles was just happy that this truth wasn't what he had feared. Finally the quartet changed back.

"Well things could have went badly," Peter commented. Laura glared at her uncle.

"Wait, what?" Stiles was confused.

"At one point, when Derek was a teen, he dated a deadly hunter. Her name was Kate. She was manipulating him to get to us. When Derek was 14, she tried to burn us alive." Peter explained.

"But not all hunters are like that. They have a code, some take it seriously. Peter's boyfriend for one," Laura explained as she smirked at Peter.

"Chris quit hunting entirely, when his own sister got arrested for attempted murder and attempted arson!" Peter retorted.

"You didn't deny the boyfriend part," Derek responded. In the meantime, Stiles had connected the dots and started freaking out instantly.

"Holy, that's Allison's freakin' aunt! She tried to roast you like a chicken!" the teen yelled. The Hales started to laugh. Then the group settled down to watch a movie of Stiles's choice. Unknown to the family, Stiles decided to choose a certain movie, just to see their reactions. When 'Teen Wolf' started to play, everyone glared at their host.

* * *

The next morning, everyone returned to the hospital. Jackson headed straight to Lydia's room. He wanted to be there in case his girlfriend woke up. Isaac was still fast asleep.  In the meantime, the others headed to Erica's room. They found Melissa already there. The nurse was removing the bandages from the girl's wound. The nurse let out a shocked gasp at the sight. The skin that was once ripped and caked with blood was knitting itself together. Everyone except for Stiles and the Hale trio were confused. The quartet gasped as realization hit. Derek was silently flipping out, he had never wanted this to happen! The siblings had always been taught that the bite was meant to be a gift with full consent given! In the meantime, Erica was wondering had happened.

"What the hell is going on?! Where's my wound?!" she exploded. The girl still remembered the blinding pain of the beast's fangs sinking into her neck. What had happened to the blood and the teeth marks?!

"Okay everyone except for the Hales and Stiles out. I'm already breaking hospital rules by having all of you here," Melissa announced. Immediately everyone began to file out. When everyone were well out of earshot, Stiles began to explain the wound to Erica.


	14. October 16th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The alpha becomes a part of the group's many concerns.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back with chapter 14, finally half-way done. I admit to tweaking canon for the alpha storyline. I wanted to see how things would play out, if certain events went differently.  
> I claim creative license for some of the details in this chapter. I tried my best but there's not enough information on medical procedures on the internet.

Erica was fully dressed and ready to go home. But she wanted to pay a visit to her friends Isaac and Lydia first. So she left for Isaac's room with her friends. Stiles was pushing her wheelchair. The group of friends found Isaac awake. The curly-haired boy smiled shyly when he saw everyone. After receiving permission from the nurses to take Isaac. They moved on to Lydia's room in the ICU. In accord with the rules, everyone decided to take turns going in pairs. So Boyd entered the room pushing Erica's wheelchair.

"Okay, Stiles said that you are able to hear us, even if you're in a medical coma. So here goes, I confessed to Boyd and we are dating. I found out what attacked us, but you need to wake up so we can explain." Erica began.

"You're a smart girl, and we need that. So you need to wake up." Boyd went next.

"My parents won't wait for much longer. Plus, Laura mentioned a meeting. So I need to go home, I'll see you tomorrow. Bye." Erica finished. Boyd nodded and the duo left, heading for the lobby. Danny entered the room with Isaac in tow. 

"Thanks for the stuffed wolf. I feel a lot better with it," Isaac smiled shyly.

"Jackson is falling to pieces, so please wake up. And I consider you a close friend," Danny went next.

"I'm tired and I need to sleep. Bye for now, I'll return later," Isaac spoke. After Danny said his goodbyes, the pair left the room and headed back to Isaac's room. Scott and Allison entered the room holding hands. Allison's face was pale and tears were running down her cheeks.

"Please wake up! I need my best friend!" Allison spoke frantically.

"Wake up, Lydia. Whatever attacked you, it's attacking others. You're the only one that can help us track it down." Scott pleaded. Then the couple left and Derek entered the room with Laura. They took their places at the girl's bedside.

"Please wake up, we know who attacked you. But you need to be awake so we can explain in person." Laura spoke.

"This thing is doing a lot of damage. Uncle Peter and Mr. Argent have been looking for your attacker. They need your help." Derek revealed. Then they left the room, and Stiles came in with Cora.

"Please wake up! You are a great friend and I'd hate to lose you! I used to have a major crush on you, but that faded when I realized that we are better off as friends. And you've been a loyal friend. You're going to do great things and win the Fields Metal, Lydia. And it will crush me to see all of that go to waste!" Stiles cried as he started to babble.

"Wake up please. So I can have the chance to get to know you better." Cora spoke. Then the duo exited the room. And the group left to go home. When everyone were gone, Lydia's fingers twitched.

* * *

 Laura had headed over to the Reyes house for a meeting. Minutes later everyone were gathered in Erica's room. The group considered of Laura, Erica, her parents and Boyd. The three had been told about Erica's new status as a beta werewolf. 

"Some things are not adding up. We need more information." Laura began.

"On what?" Boyd asked.

"What you exactly saw in the garage. Was the rogue wolfed out or in his alpha form? I will explain, after you answer that question. Anyway, please clarify and also give us a physical description if possible." Laura answered.

"Dark fur, red eyes and rows and rows of teeth," Erica shivered at the memory. That alpha had been beyond scary! Laura was also shivering.

"Thank you. I think it's in your best interest if you join our pack. Lone wolves usually dies." Laura explained. Erica was stunned speechless, she didn't know what to do.

"Do it, sweetheart. You need the protection and guidance. It's for the best," her mother spoke. Mrs. Reyes didn't want to lose her only child, not when she was finally cured and they no longer had to dread losing their daughter to a premature death!

"Okay I'll join," Erica finally agreed after she saw how worried her parents were.

* * *

 Peter and Chris were in the living room at the Argent house. They looked at the photographs of Lydia's wound. They studied the bite. The depth of the bite was deep. They could possible get an unique impression out of it. Both men stood up to head to Lowes to get some plaster. Hopefully this lead panned out. So they got right to work.

* * *

 Noah was giving a press conference with the mayor. They had borrowed one of the conference rooms at the local hotel. The meeting room was packed with reporters from Beacon Hills and the surrounding towns. The journalists had brought notepads and pens. The local TV stations had sent their cameramen to cover the event. TV cameras were in place. Noah took his place at the podium at the front of the room.

"Those animal attacks have ravaged the town. A child and two teens have even been attacked. All people be cautious and careful. Any questions?" Noah began.

"What are their names?" a male reporter asked.

"We're not allowed to release names of any minors without their guardian's express permission." Noah answered.

"What kind of animal is it?" a female reporter wanted to know.

"Mountain lion," Noah spoke. As the sheriff and the officials continued to field questions. Something glared in the distance.

In a clearing, some fair distance away, the sunlight bounced off gleaming crimson irises.

_That man was a serious threat. He needed to stay in his place and not go around sticking his nose where he didn't belong. If he continued to pry in others' business. He would need to come up with a more permanent solution!_

_And that girl! What makes her special that the bite didn't take?! Whatever it is, I'll use it to my advantage!  
_

_That pesky sheriff may need to be dealt with, but who to use against him. A pity his brat is guarded by the Hales. But even beta guards needs their sleep. Now to find the chance to seize my opportunity...  
_

The alpha left the clearing plotting how to get rid of Noah via his son.

* * *

In the meantime, in Lydia's hospital room, the comatose girl was hooked up to several monitors. Jackson was slumped in a chair watching over his girlfriend. The boy had brought along his homework. While Jackson worked on his Algebra homework, he noticed some faint movement, as Lydia's eyes fluttered and opened. Her sight was blurred and she didn't move much. Immediately Jackson sprang to his feet as he pressed the call button for the nurses and called out for the doctor.

"Doctor! She's awake!" the jock declared. A few minutes later, the doctor entered the room with two nurses. They took the girl's vitals.

"She's healing at a normal rate. The medical coma worked," a nurse spoke.

"I'll let the Martins know, that their daughter is awake." the second nurse replied, smiling. Jackson left the room to call everyone to tell them that Lydia was awake.


	15. October 29th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another roadblock throws the group's investigation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here with chapter 15, this is the near to last chapter for this week.  
> After doing some serious thinking, I finally decided on the rating. I hope I don't lose any readers over my decision.  
> Warning: The final scene has copious amounts of blood in it. So, if you're easily triggered, then please don't read!

Nearly two weeks had passed since the press conference. The last weeks had been frustrating for Noah and the deputies. The alpha had been busy attacking people. People were in and out of the hospital. Scathri had returned to loot the wealthy and even had visited a museum which was hosting an exhibition of rare jewels. The gems had been on loan to the museum. So everyone including the mayor were extremely upset about the theft. 

"This is affecting the museum and tourism. People come to see those jewels and we're losing money over this. So please hurry up and catch that damned thief!" the mayor informed Noah.

In the meantime, Ares had finally gotten a lawyer. And the police were unable to speak with him without his lawyer present.

"I refuse to speak unless my attorney is present." Ares had said. Noah was at a dead end for the moment. 

In the meantime, Lydia was being released from the hospital. The doctors had finally decided to release her.

"Your progress is immaculate, Ms. Martin. It's safe to say that you can finally go home." a doctor had said. Melissa was helping Lydia prepare to go home when her mom showed up.

"Your mother is here, Lydia." Melissa smiled as she helped Lydia get her shirt on. After Lydia and Mrs. Martin finished hugging, Melissa handed a packet to Lydia's mother with the written instructions.

The doctor has called in the prescriptions at CVS. Just take this and pick it up." Melissa smiled.

"Thank you," Mrs. Martin smiled before she wheeled Lydia out.

* * *

Boyd and Erica were enjoying their 4th date, at the annual Halloween Festival. The festival which was usually held on the 31st had been moved to the 29th. The town decided that the festival should be held during the day. It was safer that way. The town residents had made quite the turnout.

The community center gym had been decorated for the festival. There were orange and black crepe streamers, that hung from the ceiling. Regular black and orange balloons had been placed around the room with helium balloons. There were fake spiderwebs placed in corners with fake spiders. Cutouts of cartoon witches and black cats had were placed here and there.

Outside the center, in the nearby park, attractions for all ages awaited.  A resident was in charge of hayrides. Another had brought a pumpkin patch complete with pumpkins for people to carve into jack-o-lanterns and to take home. Someone had brought hedges and used a variety of plants and other materials to create an artificial corn maze. Finally there was a bona fide haunted house. The theme was traditional monsters such as Frankenstein, the Mummy, Dracula, Wolf Man, Invisible Man, a Ghoul and Mr. Hyde. The haunted house was so scary, the haunted house visitors entered into groups.

Because the insects were rampant during the day, the refreshments and game booths were in the community center gym. An assortment of foods kept the crowd tamed until they could fire up grills. The list of beverages consisted of water, sodas, iced tea, and apple cider. The Halloween treats were candy corn, taffy apples, Halloween themed cupcakes and cookies. The sweets were so popular, that the parents had to limit the children's sugar intake. There were Autumn treats such as pumpkin pies and bread with apple pastries.

The typical carnival games such as bean bag toss and ring toss had been redesigned for the Halloween festival. There were additional activities such face-painting and apple-bobbing. A treasure and clue hunt had been arranged for older visitors.

Nearly everyone arrived dressed into costume for the costume parade and contest. There was an assortment of cute costumes. Couples matched and some made no sense together.

While roaming around the gym, Boyd and Erica met up with Stiles, Isaac and the Hale siblings. Stiles had dragged his new friends to the fair.

"Well this is a surprise, I didn't know that y'all would be here," Stiles smiled.

"Yeah, watching classic horror films is a bonding experience," Erica replied.

"I'm signed up for trick & treating. Scott is going to get hell from Deaton, because Scott signed his house up. And Allison's house is on the list too." Stiles changed the subject topic.

"We can help! I'm great with kids." Cora exclaimed.

"Totally. Derek, help me, please?" Stiles said, putting on the puppy dog eyes.

"Alright, I'll do it, but I get a free bag of candy." Derek groans, as he surrendered. The group of friends went to buy candy and snacks.

* * *

Laura, Isaac and Scott followed Ares to an urban area, then promptly lost the man. As they walked around looking for the man. They noticed that neon streets lit up the street. The buildings were nearly crumbling, having been forgotten by the town. That made it easier for people to turn tricks. 

"Wait guys..are we in the red light district?" Isaac gulped. Scott instantly covered his eyes as Laura blushed. The trio kept walking, trying to get out of that part of town. They walked down the street and stopped at the sight up ahead.

"Isn't that Aphrodite?" Scott asked. Laura and Scott looked and their jaws dropped. The blond-haired and blue-eyed woman was wearing a hot pink leather halter top with a matching mini skirt. She wore fishnet tights with thigh high leather boots to show off her shapely legs. Her face was caked with makeup. The woman was bending over to speak with a guy in a black Porsche.

"Oh most definitely," Laura confirmed.

"Now we know what Aphrodite has been hiding. Can we find Ares now?" Isaac spoke up. The group resumed their search, looking around. They looked through every club but didn't find him. They finally found him in an alley, talking to what looked like gamblers. The trio quickly melted into the shadows of the nearest building, before they peeked around the corner.

"You have two choices, throw the game or give us what you owe us. You know what you need to do, after all you've thrown games for us before." the leader spoke in a deep distinctive voice. The trio sneaked away, and quickly started to find their way back to the town square.

* * *

The group gathered in the den at Stiles's house to compare notes. Laura motioned for Scott to go first.

"We ended up in the red light district and you will not believe what we just saw!" Scott exclaimed.

"What?" Stiles questioned.

"When we got there, we saw a woman talking with a guy in a black Porsche. We looked closer and it was Aphrodite turning tricks." Isaac continued. The group gasped in shock. 

"That's not all. We kept on walking and came across an alley. We saw Ares but before we could go in after him, he was talking about throwing a game to pay a debt," Laura concluded. Jackson looked up at Laura's revelation.

"We used to deal with that a lot. Other teams fixing games would get disqualified." the jock spoke, before he started a rant.

"When they do that, it ruins the game and we'd have to start over. I nearly throttled a guy over it." he spoke, as he jumped up, and started pacing the floor angrily. Danny nodded.

"I remember that incident, it took two of us to pull you off the guy." the goalie admitted. The group looked at Jackson with questioning looks.

"If Ares's dirty secret ever got out, say like in Rose's book, does that mean his career would be ruined?" Stiles asked.

"Yes, pretty much," Isaac confirmed.

"We should check it out. Let's go to Ares's house. I want to ask him a couple of questions." Stiles said to Derek.

"I don't think that is a good idea," Derek spoke warily. He still remembered the incident with Ares the night of Rose's murder. That guy was clearly bad news.

"Please?" Stiles immediately activated his puppy dog eyes. While in the background, Cora stifled her giggles.

"You've got to stop that. Okay fine!" Derek groaned, as he gave in yet again. His mate's puppy dog eyes was a lethal weapon! After everyone stopped laughing, Derek and Stiles got ready to leave.

"Call the cops, if we're not back in a hour." Derek instructed.

* * *

 Derek and Stiles arrived at Ares's house. The pro football player lived in a townhouse about 10 minutes outside of Beacon Hills. When the duo arrived, they got out of Derek's car, and started up the path leading to the front door.

"This is freaking me out," Stiles admitted as he looked around.

"Yeah, it's too quiet," Derek replied. Stiles stepped onto the front steps and saw that the door was ajar.

"Hello?" Stiles yelled. He looked around seeing no one.

"We should take a look around." Derek suggested. So the duo entered the house, ending up in the foyer. As Derek walked down the hall, he noticed a strong metallic smell. He stiffened and looked around warily. In the meantime, Stiles had quickly darted ahead of Derek and ended up in the kitchen. The teen was looking around the kitchen when he stumbled across bloody hand prints on the wall and kitchen island. Blood drops led to the phone.

"What the hell happened here?" Stiles whimpered, just as Derek entered the kitchen. The taller teen's eyes was comically wide as he scanned the area. He looked at the phone and noticed that the phone had been unplugged.

"The phone's disconnected." he directed the sentence to Stiles.

"Derek we need to look at the rest of the house. Ares could have killed someone here!" the younger teen was in a panic. Derek moved quickly, racing to the living room. He froze when he reached the room. He took the scene in front of him and yelled back to Stiles.

"Call the cops!" Stiles was confused, so he chased after the older teen. He ran in the living room, only to freeze in his tracks in shock.

The scene was gruesome. Ares's throat had been slit open. He had numerous stab wounds into his chest and blood caked his body. A pool of blood surrounded the corpse.

Stiles stared at the mess before his eyes rolled back in his head. The world went black as the teen fainted dead away. Derek saw Stiles as the teen began to sway and caught him before he hit the floor.


	16. October 30th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lists goes on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back with chapter 16. Sorry it is late, but rl issues came up.  
> By the way, there is a flashback, with mentions of blood. If you don't want to be triggered, please skip it.

A few hours later, Stiles woke with a pounding headache. He was dizzy and had blurred vision. His muscles were stiff and he saw spots. Stiles looked around and discovered he was in a hospital bed. Noah and Derek breathed in relief and smiled softly. 

"Stiles, you're going to be resting from now on until you're cleared. Derek's going to take you home. Melissa is going to be watching over you at home." Noah announced.

"No, dad! Come on! I need to work this case!" Stiles protested.

"You need to go home and rest, Stiles" Derek spoke up.

"Okay, fine! I'll go home, but I want details later!" Stiles pouted as he gave in. After Stiles was signed out, Derek wheeled him to the car. Once he was buckled in, Derek sped off.

In the meantime, Noah was returning to Ares's house to check on the deputies while they were gathering evidence.

"What have we got here, boys and girls?" Noah asked his deputies.

"We got something, Noah. It looks like a diary," a female deputy named Tara Graeme responded.

"Hopefully we can get somewhere with this case," Noah replied.

"We took a look around. Looks like our victim was attacked in the kitchen. The phone is disconnected, so he must've tried to call the police." a male deputy replied.

"Try to pull fingerprints from the kitchen. And how did the suspect get in?" Noah spoke as he directed the forensic technicians.

"The back door's lock is broken. The suspect forced his way in." Tara replied.

"These recent entries are becoming disturbing." a deputy named Ryan Wilkins announced as he flipped through the diary.

"What do you mean by 'disturbing?'" Noah asked. As he and Tara stopped talking to stare at their fellow detective. 

"It starts with point-fixing and then works it's way to straight death threats." Ryan responded.

"Who are the death threats from, Ryan?" Tara asked.

"'You'll get yours in the end,' and it's unsigned." Ryan held up a letter.

"This is like Rose's letter." Noah spoke.

"Could Ares's death be connected to Rose's death somehow?" Tara asked. Noah looked at her and nodded.

"We need to review leads and theories. This letter changes everything." Noah responded. A few minutes later, everyone were finished checking the crime scene.

"We got a lot of evidence. Take it to the station. I have a lunch meeting with the mayor," Noah clapped his hands. Everyone packed up and departed.

* * *

The pack heard that Stiles was out of the hospital and immediately swarmed the Stilinski house. Melissa was already there watching over Stiles. 

"Why did you faint? Are you alright?" Lydia started firing off questions. Stiles felt light-headed again as the horrifying image returned. Then an older memory filled his head.

_Broken glass and twisted metal was all over the street. A dark-haired woman with sightless amber-brown eyes was being put on a stretcher. Blood drenched his mother's blouse. The EMT's uniform was getting covered in blood. Stiles screamed, clawing at the deputy as he cried for his mom. The deputy was also crying not being able to handle the child's distress._

Stiles pulled himself out of his memory. Derek had a worried look on his face, but Stiles just shook it off.

"We went through Ares's place. We looked around and saw blood throughout the apartment. When we checked the living room, we found Ares dead." Derek explained while shooting Stiles worried glances. The pack cringed and dry heaved.

"What should we do now? Since our best prime suspect is dead." Scott asked.

"I don't know. My dad is going to tell me everything when he gets back," Stiles answered.

"We need to go through our suspect list," Erica began.

"We also need to check his house for clues," Jackson added. The pack nodded in agreement. Then they noticed the worry on Derek's face. Knowing that he has questions for Stiles, they left them alone.  When the boys were alone, Derek turned to Stiles.

"We need to talk about what happened." he began.

"My mom was in a car accident. When the EMTs were loading her up. I saw her. There was so much blood. When I see that much blood, it all comes back, and I lose it." Stiles confessed.

"Stiles why didn't you tell me? I wouldn't have brought you there. I was worried about you, Stiles. I feel a little guilty." Derek spoke. He had never wanted to cause his mate pain. He knew all about painful memories.

"It's not your fault. We expected him to be alive. Besides, the time I spend with you is worth it." Stiles reassured his worried friend.

"Stiles what do you mean that this was worth it?" Derek asked in confusion.

"I like you a lot, Derek. Some can even say more than friends." Stiles finally admitted his true feelings to his crush.

"Oh. I thought this attraction was unrequited. I've liked you all along," Derek responded. Deep inside his wolf was giddy.

"Would you like to go out on a date?" Stiles asked his possible boyfriend.

"Definitely," Derek whispered before he leaned in and kissed Stiles softly. When the older boy pulled back, Stiles smiled and kissed him again. 

* * *

 The next day, Peter and Chris met outside the bowling alley. They knew what was going on automatically.

"Well, this is just great." Peter groaned.

"I knew I never should have listened to Allison." Chris moaned in dismay.

"Talia did this when we were teens, remember? Laura and Cora are following in her footsteps." Peter spoke flatly.

"Oh yeah, that was something. I didn't know whether to kiss you or punch you." Chris answered.

"They're not going to stop till we go through with this. So we may as well." Peter spoke. Chris stopped in his tracks, he honestly expected that Peter would back out and run.

"Oh really?" Chris complained.

"Yes really." Peter responded as he grabbed Chris by the collar and started to drag him in the bowling alley. Peter knew that the latter could rub wolfsbane in his eyes if he wanted to. But he also knew that Chris wasn't armed. Chris struggled before he finally gave up. He'll maim Peter later. The men paid for their shoes and went bowling. They actually had fun.

* * *

 Scott and Isaac were in the den at the McCall house. Isaac had moved in with Scott and his mom for the time being. He would stay with them until he was 18. The boys were sitting on the couch watching 'Despicable Me.' While they ate snacks, and discussed the recent events.

"Why did Stiles faint?" Isaac asked.

"Him and Derek found Ares dead. There was so much blood, he just fainted." Scott answered.

"Why is that? What is it with him and blood?" Isaac asked confused. Scott winced.

"His mom got in a fatal accident. Despite the paramedics trying to stop him from seeing her, he saw the body. Ever since, seeing blood freaks Stiles out." Scott explained with a pained look on his face. Isaac immediately regretted mentioning it. He knew what it was like to lose his mother.

"So, what's going to happen with the case?" Isaac asked changing the subject.

"No idea, but we have the sheriff so we can get some leeway." Scott answered. About ten minutes later, Isaac discovered that he was getting really tired so he decided to go to bed.

"Well, I'm about to fall asleep. Nighty, night, Scott." Isaac spoke while yawning and stretching.

"Okay, night, Isaac." Scott replied looking a little sad.

* * *

 Stiles, Allison and Cora were meeting Laura and Derek for dinner. However, the trio decided to walk around the mall for a bit first. Stiles wanted a bagel, so he and the girls stopped by Common Grounds. As he got to the counter, he heard someone yell out. Looking at the person, he noticed Artemis.

"Artemis?" Stiles asked as he walked to the girl.

"Oh...hi," Artemis responded, slamming the laptop lid closed. 

"How are you girl?" Stiles smiled. Cora snuck behind Artemis and took the laptop. Allison flipped the lid and looked at the screen. The girls looked at the URL and saw that they were on the World of Warcraft site. Allison looked at her profile and saw her avatar.

"Artemis-Technical-Fowl?" Allison read the avatar name out loud. Artemis turned red and ducked her head. Stiles's eyes went wide.

"It's you! You're the Catwoman to my Batman!" Stiles yelped in excitement. He had never thought he would be meeting his teammate in real life.

"Oh my God! That's you?!" Artemis asked with wide eyes. The girls looked confused. What were they talking about?

"I play WoW too! It's the best thing ever. My avatar name is Red-Riding-In-A-Jeep." Stiles explained to the others when he saw their confusion.

"Oh my God! That's hilarious!" Cora burst out laughing. She was never letting her older brother live that one down ever! Stiles started grumbling about his friend being mean.

"Where were you from between 1-2 pm yesterday?" Allison asked. Just then Stiles cut in the conservation.

"Artemis is totally innocent. We were in battle at the time of the murder." Stiles announced.

"There goes another lead," Cora groaned.

"But the suspect list is long, we still have 12 names to check out, remember?" Stiles pointed out.

"You thought I killed him?!" Artemis exclaimed.

"We're sorry, but we need to follow any leads we have. Besides your name was at the near bottom of the list. Zeus and Dionysus were second and third." Allison apologized to the upset girl.

"Oh thank god," Artemis sighed in relief. Stiles checked his watch and spoke.

"We better get going, Derek and Laura are waiting for us." Stiles said as he waved at Artemis. Then the group walked around till they spotted Spencer's. 

"I need a new graphic tee!" Cora smiled as she walked in the store with the others on her heels. A moment later, Cora walked to the back and stopped. She knew what was back there but wanted to take a peek.

"Oh my God! Look!" Allison gasped. The trio peeked in and stared at the shocking sight.

Hera was wearing an extra and shiny combination of red and black leather and spandex to go with her outfit of short shorts, corset, gloves, fishnet stockings and boots.

"So scarred for life," Cora breathed.

"Agreed. Be glad Jackson and Scott aren't here. They would be totally imagining you and Lydia wearing that getup." Stiles responded shivering.

"They are horny idiots." Cora replied flatly, as Allison blushed furiously. The trio then left the store and walked through the mall until they found Laura and Derek.

"I'm so scarred," Cora and Stiles muttered.

"Cross Artemis off the list," Allison nonchalantly added. Derek raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, start at the beginning," Laura spoke.

"We went to the coffee shop and saw Artemis. We ruled her out because Stiles found out she is his partner in World of Warcraft and they were playing the afternoon of the murder." Allison began.

"Why are you two so scarred?" Derek questioned.

"We went in Spencer's to shop. I got curious about the back room and went in the back. I stopped when I saw Hera in thigh high boots, a corset, shorts, and gloves, all of which was in leather." Cora answered.

"She's a dominatrix," Stiles added.

"Oh God. What were you doing in the back room anyway!" Derek exclaimed staring at Stiles.

"Curiosity killed the cat, Derek. Satisfaction brought it back." Stiles answered. The group got hungry went searching for a restaurant. They found a Mexican restaurant named *Mi Carretas and sat down to eat there. They enjoyed their meal of tacos and burritos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mi Carretas is an actual restaurant.


	17. A Not-So-Happy Halloween

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys encounter something dangerous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back with chapter 17.

Derek and Laura drove to Ares's house. The siblings had decided it would be best if they went to the townhouse alone. If something happened, they could handle it. After they entered the house, they began to search the house for clues. They were hoping to find something the police might have missed. They started with the study. After about ten minutes of searching, they found a hidden safe behind a painting. Fifteen minutes later, Laura found the combination to open the safe. After the door swung open, they started to remove the contents of the safe. There were a lot of documents and a safety deposit box. Derek cracked open the safety deposit box to reveal a letter filled with death threats, a picture of a very pretty teenage girl and an obituary.

"That girl looks familar," he commented as he handed the photograph to his sister. Laura turned the photograph over to see four words-'Alyssa at the beach' with a date of June 3rd, 1988.

"This picture is like the group picture Rose had on her memory card." Laura spoke.

The laughing teenage girl named Alyssa had curly medium brown hair down to her shoulders and green eyes. Alyssa was tall and slim. The ocean was blue and the sand very yellow. Laura went on to read the obituary out loud.

"Alyssa Stone passed away on Nov 21. Alyssa was a loving daughter and friend. She died, sadly at a young age. She will be missed." Laura spoke.

"The deaths are connected. Since Alyssa has been mentioned twice so far, first in Rose's files and here." Derek said. The siblings gathered all the documents. They left before they could be caught by anyone. 

* * *

Stiles and Cora met Derek and Laura at a sub shop. They were having lunch together. They also wanted to know what the latter two found. As everyone sat down, and Laura passed around their food orders. Stiles started off the conservation with;

"What did you guys find at Ares's house?" the younger teen wanted to know.

"We found a lot of odd stuff. We found death threats, Alyssa's picture and her obituary." Laura answered. As she reached in a folder and pulled out a newspaper clipping with a photograph.

"Why would Ares have these?" Cora asked.

"We have no idea. This may be what got him killed." Derek responded.

"Let's look at Rose's manuscript. This could tie up some loose ends. Oh and don't forget. Y'all volunteered to hand out candy." Stiles said. Everyone agreed before they settled down to eat their meal of soda, chips and hoagies. They enjoyed their lunch and continued to talk.

* * *

Derek and Laura went to the supermarket to get some candy. They looked up and down the aisle for all the popular candy. While in the checkout aisle, Laura gasped and pointed. When Derek turned to look, he stared at Hephaestus and Athena in shock. The couple were kissing and flirting with each other. Derek knew for a fact that the pair were married to other people. As soon as they paid for their treats, they walked over to the duo. The couple froze and stared at them in dawning horror.

"Where were you guys when Ares was killed?" Laura began, as she got right down to business.

"We were out of town in a hotel," Hephaestus answered. He was wary, why did the siblings want to know their whereabouts?

"Can someone vouch for you?" Derek asked.

"The hotel staff can. Do you really think we killed him?" Athena wanted to know.

"We're just narrowing down the list. We haven't been able to account for several guests when Rose was killed." Laura answered. She was referring to the fact with a few exceptions, the party guests couldn't confirm their exact whereabouts during the party. Too many people had left the room for long unspecified amounts of time.

"Dionysus and Zeus are questionable so they're our main leads." Derek commented. The couple exhaled into relief.

"Oh thank god. We know that they're sketchy. They acted strangely at the party," Hephaestus answered. Knowing the trick and treaters would come visiting soon, Derek and Laura left the market without a word.

* * *

Derek and Laura stood at the front door of the Stilinski house, smiling as they gave the kids a piece of candy each.

"This is going to be perfect for the Christmas cards!" Cora laughed as she snapped photos of Derek handing out candy. Laura and Derek were not amused, they glowered at their younger sister.

"Cora!" Derek growled.

"Hey! Allison promised to send me pictures of Uncle Peter and Chris! That was something I couldn't miss!" Cora defended her case.

"Hmm, that is a hard bargain," Laura mused.

As the siblings waited for the next batch of children, Cora glanced at a nearby clock on the wall and remembered something important.

"Where's Stiles? Practice ended a hour ago," she asked all of sudden. Derek and Laura went tense. They were worried because Stiles never was late. Derek and Laura pulled out their phones and started dialing their friends. They had an emergency on their hands.

* * *

In the meantime, lacrosse practice had ran late, and a group of certain friends were not happy in the least. Since they had all plans and were supposed to be either at home or elsewhere.

"Man! The kids are already out. I'm supposed to be helping Derek!" Stiles complained as he shut his locker. He also knew that the Hales would be worried about him.

"Yeah. We all volunteered to help." Danny added. Boyd nodded his agreement. Jackson was stiff and angry.

"What the hell was that? We don't have time for this!" he nearly shouted. He was dreading having to face his girlfriend's wrath, having promised to help her pass out candy. Lydia would have his balls, he just knew it!

The guys were exiting the locker room when they heard a loud, sharp sound. The boys went on alert and looked around wary.

"It's coming from the field!" Scott shouted pointing in the direction of the lacrosse field. The boys turned to look in the direction of where Scott was pointing, only to see crimson orbs. The boys froze when they saw the red eyes. They started to back up, they knew who the eyes belonged to and were trying to avoid him. The alpha growled and bared his teeth. He lunged at the group and the boys ran.

"Split up!" Stiles yelled in sheer panic. The group scattered, running in all directions.

The alpha growled in frustration. He wanted to catch all of his prey at once. But since that won't work, he'd have to catch the one that could give him the biggest advantage. So he made his choice and zeroed in on one of the running teens. He started to stalk his chosen prey... 


	18. Another Bite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Alpha gets to another member of the group.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back with chapter 18.  
> The pack knows about the Alpha, despite trying to keep it under wraps, everyone found out. So far only Erica's parents knows. The other adults will find out in time...

Peter and Chris were tracking down the Alpha. When they lost it, they ran straight to the high school. Before they could even get on the front steps, they ran in Stiles. The teen was screaming and flailing in terror.

Chris rolled his eyes and pushed past Stiles. He ran through the hallway, his gun pulled out of his holster. He looked at all doors and heard a loud banging from the chem lab. He saw through the window that it was the remaining five boys.

In the meantime, Peter was on the phone talking with Derek.

"Hello, Derek. Um, yeah, we're at the high school. We need you to calm your damn boyfriend down before we knock him out with a box full of test tubes." On the other end, Derek rolls his eyes at both Peter and Stiles before hanging up and rushing to the school. A moment later, the shaken Stiles was talking with both Derek and Peter.

"We were just walking in from practice and getting our stuff together. When we get out to the hallway and we heard this big growl. We see the big eyes and I instantly freaked out and flailed. We just met the creep that put Lydia and Erica in the hospital, how else am I supposed to react?" the teen explained. Peter and Derek considered it. They would freak out too if they were in Stiles' position.

The boys breathed a sigh of relief. They were found and could go home, but the Alpha was lurking outside. When he saw Peter and Chris inside of the hallway, it growled and jumped through the window. Glass flew as the Alpha grabbed a hold of Scott and dragged him to the bathroom. The group followed the broken glass trail to the bathroom. When Stiles tried to push the door open, he discovered it was locked.

The Alpha's teeth dug deep into Scott's hip. The teenage boy was screaming bloody murder while Stiles tried to bust in the restroom. Finally the Alpha loosened its jaw and jumped out of the window. The bathroom door broke into the wall as Derek kicked it in. The boys ran inside and found Scott lying unconscious in the corner of the room. The boy was bleeding profusely.

"Oh God, Scott!" Stiles yelled as he ran to his best friend. He tried to stop the bleeding with his flannel shirt, but got light headed. So Boyd pulled Stiles away from the blood and pressed down on the wound himself.

"We need to get him to the hospital now!" Boyd yelled. The bleeding slowed temporarily, so Boyd picked Scott up. He pushed past the others and ran to the Camaro with Scott in his arms. Derek jumped into the driver's side while Stiles was in the passenger seat. They took off towards the hospital.

* * *

When they arrived, Derek parked the Camaro. A moment later, Boyd lifted Scott out of the car while Derek and Stiles ran into the emergency room. Boyd was right behind them with Scott in his arms.

The hospital was decorated for Halloween and running at a moderate pace. The nurses and other members of the staff were doing routine checks on their patients when they heard running footsteps. Going out of the rooms to scold them, they didn't count on seeing a grown man and two teenagers coming in with another bleeding teenager. One that was too familiar to several staff members.

"Oh my God! What happened to my son?!" Melissa exclaimed into horror. The nurse began to hyperventilate as she tried to get to her son. Derek caught her in his arms and tried to hold her back as the doctors got Scott in a treatment room.

"The thing that attacked Lydia and Erica bit Scott too," Derek whispered to Mrs. McCall.

"How the hell did this happen?!" Melissa was furious. The single mother was like Momma bear where her child was concerned. It was one of the few things Scott, Stiles and Allison had bonded on. They were all being raised by a single parent that was overprotective. Stiles and Allison's mothers were dead and Scott's father had long ran out on his wife and child.

"We were at school, and the creature was waiting for us outside." Boyd answered.

"I need to call the Sheriff. This is getting so out of control that it's gotten to my baby!" Melissa declared.

_**A few minutes later,** _

Noah and some of the deputies arrived and saw the chaos. Right behind them were the pack, looking worried and terrified.

"I need all of your statements," Noah said to Derek, Stiles and Boyd. They looked at each other, trying to figure out what they were going to tell him without mentioning werewolves.

* * *

Peter and Chris were looking around the Chemistry Lab. They thought that if they could find some blood or fur from the Alpha, maybe they could get an I.D. 

"I think that the Alpha was waiting for the boys, this whole time," Peter assumed. Chris looked at him.

"He'd have to be one lucky son of a bitch to know that they'd be here later than the others." the latter answered.

"Finstock likes to keep them late. When Laura was on the cross-country team, one time she didn't get home till 8 PM." Peter explained.

"The Alpha knows too much about Finstock's routine. He may have either lived here before or he has someone on the inside." Chris mused.

"That seems probable." Peter replied.

"We need to go. If I know the boys well enough, they wouldn't lie about being at school," Chris said. Peter nodded and they collected their evidence. They got out of there, just as the cops pulled up. 

* * *

The pack was in the waiting room. They all waited there because Melissa couldn't. Her shift didn't end for another four hours. The surgeon came out and walked over to the group.

"We've got him stable. We need to keep him overnight for extended observation." the doctor announced. Stiles jumped up and dashed to him.

"How is he right now?!" Stiles asked. The surgeon jumped back, not really ready for the teen.

"He's in recovery. We're keeping him overnight for observation, and you'll be able to visit him in the morning. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to give Nurse McCall the good news." he answered.

"We better get home. We can't visit Scott in the morning, if we're half-dead from exhaustion." Isaac said.

"You can stay with me, Allison," Stiles breathed as they gathered their stuff. She nodded and sent a quick text to her dad about where she is. They left the hospital exhausted and on edge. As the group left the hospital, familiar gleaming red eyes followed them. They looked satisfied, already planning their next victim. 

 _'If the bite takes, the new beta can do away with his insufferable friend. Then the pesky sheriff would be too broken to continue his investigation. It would kill two birds with a stone!'_ The Alpha left pleased with the possible outcome.

* * *

"I'm going to start on dinner," Stiles said as he, Allison and the Hales got home. Stiles was about to saute the tomatoes to make homemade marinara sauce when Laura came in.

"Do you need help?" she asked.

"Oh yes, thanks." Stiles answered.

About thirty minutes later, Cora and Allison got out plates, glasses, and utensils to set the table. Peter was already home working on his laptop. As Stiles finished up preparing dinner he called everyone to the table. Everyone took their seats and dug in. Stiles had made homemade spaghetti. He had made meatballs and put them in a bowl. He'd also made salad and garlic bread.

"This is amazing, Stiles." Allison smiled.

"Thank you. By the way, we need to find a way to lure the Alpha out of hiding." Stiles answered.

"How are we going to do that?" Allison asked.

"We could use an Alpha's biggest weakness: a mate. We fabricate that his mate is here and he'll come." Laura suggested.  

"What's a mate?" Stiles asked curiously.

"A mate is a life long partner. A marriage that you can't be divorced from. For us, mates are our version of a soul-mate." Cora explained. 

"I can play bait." Stiles offered.

"Are you crazy, Stiles?! That's a heavy risk," Peter replied.

"Our dads would have a cow and the whole barn if we let that happen. Do you want them to sic Mrs. McCall on us?" Allison pointed out waving at herself and the Hales.

"She's right, Stiles. The Sheriff would hold us at gunpoint for even thinking about that." Peter added. Derek was secretly relieved that his uncle and Allison was shooting Stiles down. The last thing he wanted was for his mate to endanger himself. He was already in enough danger! 

"Okay, well, that's my plan." Stiles pouted as he folded.

"I like the mate idea, just not Stiles being involved in it as bait." Peter commented as he watched. Knowing that if anything happens to his nephew's mate, his sister would somehow get Deaton to feed him wolfsbane flowers.

"I agree. I'm just not risking Stiles," Derek confessed.

"I matter that much to you?" Stiles asked.

"Obviously, Stiles. You matter more than anything." Derek answered as he smiled at Stiles and swept the latter up in a sweet passionate kiss. Stiles smiled into the kiss and laughed once they pulled apart. Peter stared at the couple.

"You guys are more sappier than Chris and I were." He noticed his slip of the tongue and sat back and ate his dinner. Stiles lost his mind and started laughing real hard. Derek couldn't help but laugh, too. In a few seconds, all of them were laughing out loud, ignoring Peter as he flipped them off.


	19. November 1st

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group have more investigations to solve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 19.   
> Due to rl issues, starting next week, I won't be able to update any of my fics for a week. Sorry everyone! However, I will try to make up for it when I next update the week after.

When Melissa was off her shift, she stayed with Scott, she worried and cried, her son not waking up. Isaac was spending the night at Boyd's house. Every once in a while, she'd look him over. When she got to his hip, she gasped. The chunk of flesh the surgeon said was missing from his hip was still intact. 

"Knock, knock. Is it okay to come in? We need to talk." Chris said as he entered the room. He brought flowers with him.

"Oh, okay. Come in," Melissa answered. Chris closed the door and took a seat.

"What happened to your son wasn't a regular attack," he started.

"What do you mean, Mr. Argent? You know what nearly killed my son?" Melissa asked angrily.

"That was an Alpha werewolf. They exist and this one is attacking people and turning them. Since Scott managed to survive this long, he's probably a werewolf now." Chris answered.

"Oh god! How do you know about all of this anyway?" Melissa shivered. Her son was a monster like the one who had attacked all those people. That thing gave him no choice.

"Not all of them are bad, Melissa. You can ask Peter, he knows all of this. I was just raised to know it." Chris rushed to reassure his shaken friend.

"Oh thank God! What are you going to do about the Alpha when you find him?" Melissa sighed into relief.

"Well someone else will deal with that. Anyway, I have to get home to Allison. If you need me, just call," Chris sighed. He handed a card to Melissa. The woman nodded before turning back to Scott. Chris made his leave without a word.

* * *

Stiles was up early and fishing through the refrigerator. He was about to make breakfast for everyone. He pulled out eggs, milk, chocolate chips and a box of pancake mix. While Stiles was flipping pancakes, he had dropped the bacon in a hot pan. It sizzled as he toasted the English muffins.

Laura woke up immediately at the smell of frying pork.

"Need any help?" Laura asked as she jogged down the steps. She reached for a piece of hot bacon, but she jumped back when a spatula came in contact with her hand.

"Yes to the help. No to the bacon touching. You wait like everyone else, Laura Hale." Stiles scolded.

One by one, the members of the Hale pack and Stiles's dad made their way down to the kitchen. They made coffee and homemade orange juice and talked about what they were going to do for the day.

"Okay, everyone at the table! It's time for breakfast!" Stiles yelled above the chatter. Everyone grabbed utensils, plates and bowls of food. They settle into their seats, laughing and having a good start to the day.

* * *

Laura, Cora, and Lydia were downtown. They stopped at a trendy dress boutique when Lydia saw one off the shoulder gown. The gown was baby blue.

"Come on, girls!" Lydia yelled over her shoulder as she walked in. She saw the dress, fought off another potential buyer and went to the dressing room. A few minutes later, Lydia emerged and nearly ran down Margaret. The accountant was looking worried about something.

"Oh hi, darling. Sorry about that. I sometimes forget to watch where I'm going." Lydia apologized.

"Oh no. It is very alright. I have to talk to you anyways. Do you mind?" Margaret asked.

"Sure!" Lydia smiled. Lydia quickly found Laura and Cora and they left the boutique after buying their dresses. They sat down at an outdoor picnic table and talked.

"I've been asked to do an audit of the company books at Eastern Medical Supplies." Margaret began.

"That's great, but how does that has anything to do with us?" Laura asked.

"It matters because I was working on them this morning when I was recording and updating the books, some money was missing. Someone's been embezzling the company money." the accountant explained.

"Woah, that's a big thing. Are you sure? We can't take the case on some hunch." Cora responded.

"I have the records right here. Here you go." Margaret said as she flipped through a book she had pulled out of her bag.  

"Right here, it says that $7000 was removed from the account, but it's not documented as being a purchase for business or leisure. There are other similar records going back months that shows sums of money being removed. They are unaccounted for." she finished.

"Well, that changes a lot, we'll take it." Laura whispered.

"The account is really high. The jail time for this is major," Lydia commented.

"Thank you so much! I'll leave the books with you. Don't worry, I have another copy of these records." Margaret breathed as she gathered her things. As everyone started to stand up, Margaret let out a gasp.

"Oh my God!" the woman exclaimed as she got up. The girls turned around and followed her line of sight. Laying on the side walk was Demeter, her chest was rising up and down. The girls jumped out of their seats and ran to the woman. Cora was already on the phone with 911.

Five minutes after Cora placed the call, EMTs arrived. They loaded her on the stretcher, being extra careful in case she had a head wound. As they drove off, the group didn't know what was happening, but they were ready to find out. 

* * *

 Wanting to have fun for once ever since the case had started, they went on a double date. They played miniature golf. They were having fun and laughing.

"Alright, we're neck and neck here. This should be the deciding course." Stiles announced as he checked the scorecard via pencil. He was keeping track of the scores. The group was on the 15th hole.

As Boyd got a hole in one, Erica whooped and hollered. She ran over to Boyd and planted a kiss on her boyfriend. Derek laughed while Stiles pouted. He really wanted to win.

"Woah, well that was fun. I want some Corner Bakery cookies. Who's ready for lunch?" Boyd commented.

"I want some Monster cookies. Let's go!" Stiles yells as he runs to the Camaro. Derek laughs and walks after Stiles. Boyd and Erica were right behind them, taking Stiles's Jeep to get there.

* * *

"This is going to take awhile," Danny groans as he typed away at his keyboard.

 "You're telling me. Isaac and I are looking through all the manuscripts she has ever made!" Jackson whined. The boys was going through a pile of manuscripts, hoping to find the vital manuscript.

"Did Rose use the same publishing company for all of her books?" Isaac asked Danny.

"I don't know. Let me track them really quick." Danny responded.

"My dad does this sometimes. When he's in a court case, he keeps three copies of a court document in case of corruption. If it comes up destroyed, he still has a copy to present," Jackson stated.

"Perfect! Give me the title of one of her published works," Danny replied.

"Um, try 'The Bridge to Nothing'," Isaac suggested. Hopefully they'd get something off of the book. It was an interesting story about a gay couple that was separated because of the Nazi regime.

"Dude, did you read one of them?" Jackson asked staring at the curly-haired boy with shock.

"Yeah, it's very good. Y'all should read it." Isaac answered.

"I'm going the easy routine and Google this," he says. A few swift finger movements later, he has the company name.

"What's the name of the publication company?" Isaac wanted to know.

"It's Forrestt Harbor Publications. The extra 't' in the name is really unnecessary in my opinion." Danny answered.

"We've got our publisher, so let's work our way up," Jackson said as they put away the manuscripts. This is going to be a really long investigation.


	20. Nov 2rd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group investigates further in the case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back with chapter 20. During my holiday I managed to finish 3 chapters for MiBH. However, I will be focusing on Quest for now, so I'm posting all 3 completed chapters in one go. Hopefully they satisfy you guys for now until I'm done catching up on Quest. Enjoy!

Scott and Allison went on a double date with Jackson and Lydia. The boys could barely tolerate each other, but they still went on the date. They'd have to suck it up if they didn't want Lydia and Allison to be mad at them. They decided to go ice skating. Scott failed to mention that he couldn't skate, but it came up when he started to fall on the ice. Jackson was laughing and gliding on the ice while Lydia twirled mindlessly, not paying attention to the werewolf. Allison was trying to keep her patience as she tried to teach Scott how to skate. Scott was trying to listen to Allison, but his senses were overwhelming. He could smell the pizza that the rink was making and could hear a group of girls giggling at him. He felt all warm and fuzzy and wanted to cuddle someone. Scott decided that he needed to curb the urge to cuddle. So he just flung himself at Allison, who laughed because she understood what was going on. Erica had told the pack about her urges to cuddle everyone. She preferred Boyd and Stiles out of everyone.

"Oh my God! I'm gonna barf!" Jackson yelled as he looked at the pair. Lydia skated by him and slapped him on the back of his head. Scott laughed at the girl and gave her a thumbs up.

* * *

Peter and Chris had been searching all night for the Alpha and were tired. Knowing that they'd have to hang out more if everyone had anything to say about it, they went to relax at an arcade. After several minutes of playing games, Peter asked Chris a question.

"Have the test results on the blood come back yet?" Peter asked.

"Not yet. Honestly I have no idea how long it will take," Chris replied.

"Well that's a bust. Man, this is worse than the girls and Stiles trying to get us together." Peter sighed.

"Next thing you know we'll be locked in a closet surrounded by mountain ash so you couldn't bust us out," Chris chuckled before stopping. He hoped he didn't just jinx them.

"Mother of God," Peter groaned as he went back to playing PacMan. He didn't even want to think about why that was so specific. Peter and Chris played two rounds of Street Fighter and one round of PacMan before they got hungry. They ordered two servings of hot wings, a pepperoni pizza and two milkshakes. They talked about their teen years and smiled for the first time in a long time.

* * *

Noah, Derek and Stiles were in the den looking at the case notes. They were trying to find connections in the murder cases, thefts and the 'mountain lion' attacks.

"Is there a pattern in Scathri's thefts? If we can find one, this will make things a lot easier." Stiles asked his dad.

"Well, he always steal rare gems or heirlooms. Nothing common is good for him apparently." Derek spoke.

"That's our M.O.!" Noah exclaimed.

"We need to check places with heirlooms and rare jewels. Maybe they can attract Scathri?" Stiles suggested.

"That sounds good. Now, let's see if we can connect those animal attacks." Noah says as he sifts through the files.

"It's extremely weird that the 'mountain lion' likes teenagers and anyone under the age of 25." Derek commented.

"This thing has a type," Noah responded frowning. Stiles rummaged through the evidence and found Alyssa's picture.

"We found this the first time in Rose's file. We found a copy at Ares's house with a threatening letter." he added showing Noah the picture.

"That's a connection. Our theory is right," Noah spoke, as he looked at the picture.

"I hope there isn't a third death. Because if that happens, it means there is a serial killer," Stiles said.

"Remember what I always say. Three is a pattern," Noah responded.

"What does that mean?" Derek asked into confusion.

"It's his saying. One's an incident, twice is a coincidence, and three's a pattern," Stiles explained. They talked about other aspects of the case, trying to find out if there is a next victim. They didn't get far and eventually gave up.

* * *

The pack later had a meeting. They gathered in the den at Stiles's house.

"We call you all here today to tell you that we have a new case," Cora says.

"Is this a murder or something else?" Allison asked.

"No, but it could give us a suspect." Cora replied.

"What does that mean?" Stiles asked confused.

"This is a case of possible embezzlement. One of the guests told us about it when we went shopping." Laura explained.

"Who's the guest? Are there anymore details to go on?" Erica asked.

"Margaret. While recording all the spent funds of a company, she found discrepancies. She even gave copies of the account books." Lydia added.

"Let me see the books." Stiles commanded. Lydia handed him the books.

"Oh! We have 10 names left to check out." Laura spoke suddenly.

"Who got crossed off?" Jackson wanted to know.

"Hephaestus, Athena, and Artemis are crossed off. Obviously Ares isn't on there anymore," Derek responded.

"Are these new leads on Scathri and the Alpha?" Jackson asked.

"Well, we did get Scathri's M.O. down. He always goes for the rare jewels and heirlooms. The Alpha seems to have a type. Anyone under the age of 25 is eligible for his pack." Stiles answered.

"Why is it that specific age and not any older?" Danny questioned.

"He has control issues. He wants to control them and if he has them early on, they can't break away. If it was a fully capable adult like Uncle Peter or the sheriff he'd have no chance." Derek explained. They were silent. Majority of them were underage and vulnerable. This Alpha would keep coming after them.

"What about the manuscript? Was there any luck with that?" Lydia asked changing the subject. 

"Roadblock. One of the copies was misplaced somehow. Either that or someone stole it." Isaac responded.

"Well, there goes our lead on that." Stiles sighed.

"Since that's all we have, this meeting is adjourned," Laura said as she stood up. The pack all got up to keep searching and working. They had to find a break somewhere.

* * *

After most of the pack left, Derek, Stiles, Lydia and Cora were left in the den. They were looking at the account books, looking over the discrepancies to try and piece together who has been dipping in the funds. Lydia was a math genius so she had been recruited to help look over the books.

"Is there anything you can get out of these numbers?" Stiles asked.

"Of course I can, Stiles. Who do you think I am?" Lydia answered.

"It all goes back to a little over 6 months." Cora spoke as she flipped through a ledger.

"How could he get away with this for so long?" Derek asked.

"My question is how did he manage to hide this from the original bookkeeper and the IRS? 60 % of his income goes to the government. He has to be loaded to pay that tax and maintain his current lifestyle." Stiles wanted to know.

"No idea, but we may be finding out how soon." Derek answered.

"We need to report this. I'm not going to jail for this!" Stiles cried.

"Uncle Peter has someone in the IRS. Just ask Uncle Peter to get in contact with him." Derek tried to soothe his worried mate. Stiles took Derek up on his offer and phoned Peter. After setting up an appointment, they all cleaned up and watched a movie. It was time for them to relax for a little while.


	21. Nov 5th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John connects Alyssa and Ares, and the new werewolves meet an ally of the Hale pack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 21.

Noah received the autopsy report from a deputy. So he called a meeting. They needed to review the report and see if they could get a motive. Majority of the time, the police could look at the autopsy report just to find out why the person had been killed.

"Good news, everyone! The ME just gave me the autopsy report." he announced.

"Is there anything odd? That could get us anywhere?" Tara asked.

"Ares was stabbed repeatedly. The killing blow was to the neck, severing the internal carotid artery. Plus, he was castrated postmortem." Noah answered. The male deputies cringed and crossed their legs. The women felt sorry for them, but they continued to listen to Noah.

"Did Ares have a record? I mean, he'd have to have a seriously disturbing past if the killer would do this?" a female deputy asked.

"Ares had a record. According to Stiles, he had something to do with an unsolved cold case that concerned a girl named Alyssa." Noah announced as he pulled out a file folder. Stiles and the pack had researched Alyssa's case and found information. They found her picture and put it together for the file. The sheriff proceeded to pass the file around.

"She's a beautiful girl. She was really bright according to this file," a deputy commented as he read a report. 

"Ares was a person of interest? This changes everything." another deputy spoke as he put down the official police report and the mug shot.

"Hm, he's younger and the name is different, but yup it's definitely him," Ryan commented as he picked up the mug shot.

"Wow. Do you think he actually had something to do with it? This could be a revenge killing for all we know." a female deputy suggested.

"Yeah. Rose used Alyssa's case for her book." Noah replied.

"Rose could have found out some things she shouldn't have known. She was killed for it." Ryan suggested.

"Does Alyssa have any living family or friends? They could have come here for revenge." another deputy pondered.

"We don't know but we should look. This meeting is done. Begin investigating and looking." Noah declared as he ended the meeting. So everyone could begin their investigation in locating any surviving relatives. 

* * *

Deaton had the new werewolves in his office for a checkup. He needed to see if the transformation was complete.

"This is Alan Deaton. He is an ally and a member of this pack." Laura smiled.

"I didn't know you dealt with the supernatural!" Scott stared at his boss with shock.

"I've been a consultant to the Hales for years." Deaton replied.

"He's friends with my parents and practically like an uncle." Laura explained.

"I'm going to do some tests. I need to see if you still have your illnesses." Deaton began. Then the vet began a smoke screen and flicked the lights. There was no reaction from both of them.

"They've completed their transformation. Their ailments are gone. Now you're free to go." Deaton announced as he dismissed the patients.

* * *

Some of the teenagers were at a diner planning Erica's party. It was her 17th birthday and they wanted to make it special. 

"What does she like? Any places in particular?" Cora wanted to know.

"She loves the color purple. She also loves Batman. There is a upcoming comic festival in town." Stiles answered.

"Can the party color be purple, Lydia?" Allison asked.

"Yeah, but we'll need another color, too." Lydia answered.

"Silver is great with purple." Stiles suggested. Lydia nodded as she took notes.

"Do any of you know who to contact so we can arrange the party?" Cora questioned.

"Either contact the venue or the committee in charge of the festival." Stiles replied.

"Anyway, has anyone found the missing manuscript yet?" Cora asked as she changed the subject topic.

"I found out that Rose kept a copy and hid it somewhere." Allison answered.

"Okay, Erica's party theme is comic Heroes. Allison, you're in charge of the decorations. Stiles, you're sending out the invitations. While Cora is making the cake." Lydia announced after she consulted her notes. Everyone nodded as Allison flagged the waitress.

"Excuse me, ma'am I would like a slice of the cherry cheesecake to go," Allison ordered. After the waitress returned with the cake, the group paid the tip and paid for the cheesecake. Then they left the diner.

* * *

After receiving Peter's call in addition to seeing a preview report of the money discrepancies, the IRS immediately set up a meeting with Laura and Stiles. Laura accompanied him because she was a legal adult. The duo met an IRS agent named Robert Clark. After the trio was secured in Robert's office, Robert began the meeting.

"What evidence do you have, Mr. Stilinski? Do you have records and a name?" the IRS agent asked.

"This is the ledger and everyone on company payroll that can access the account." Stiles replied as he handed over the ledger and the list of names.

"One of the persons on the list is a murder suspect." Laura warned.

"Wow, this is very serious. Can I get in contact with the head investigator?" Robert was very surprised. In the 15 years working for the IRS, he had seen and experienced many strange things. But murder was a different kettle of fish entirely.

"The lead investigator is my dad. I can call him and introduce y'all." Stiles replied as he got out his phone and dialed his father. He handed Robert the phone and when the call went through, Robert began to talk. 

"Oh yes, my son told me about this." Noah replied when Robert had explained why he was calling. 

"Sir, one of the employees is a murder suspect, yes? Okay, does they have any police records?" Robert questioned.

"All he has is small misdemeanors." Noah replied.

"Is it acceptable if I can come to Beacon Hills? We need to apprehend the culprit and confiscate the money." Robert spoke.

"If it is okay, I'd like to have a meeting, so I can file formal papers. Okay, have a good day," Noah spoke.

* * *

Stiles was working around the kitchen, making a steak dinner. He had the steaks searing and baking potatoes as he cut up a salad. Cora was assembling fluffy rolls  to put them in the oven, while making strawberry parfaits for dessert. Peter and Talia were setting the table. Talia picked on her little brother and he huffed and puffed. Will and Talia had come to town to visit their family members. Laura was telling her dad about her brother and his mate.

"Stiles and Derek are just perfect together, Dad. It's so cute!" Laura was saying.

"Oh kiddo, that's awesome." Will smiled. Derek blushed as he looked at his dad's amused expression.

Noah walked in the door just as Stiles called everyone to come and eat dinner. Everyone sat down and passed around the food, they filled their plates. They laughed and talked over dinner, nearly initiating a food fight. They settled down and cleaned lettuce and vegetables off themselves.


	22. Nov 14th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack celebrates Erica's birthday and Jackson has to comfort Danny.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here with chapter 22. Now I'm finally half-done with MiBH. Sorry if this chapter is so short, but it is mainly a filler chapter.

Laura and Derek were looking for gifts in a hobby shop. They didn't know what to get Erica but heard she liked crafts. While looking at painting sets, they ran in Poseidon. They kept to themselves for awhile, not wanting to confront him. They still kept an eye on him however. It was because of their close attention that they caught him asking a clerk about Beanie Babies. Biting their tongues, Derek and Laura brought a jewelry craft set. They brought it and left. As they were walking, they spotted Demeter at a bar, ordering another shot of whiskey while heavily intoxicated.

"Do you think it's alcoholism?" Derek asked.

"Yeah, it looks like it. It's probably why she passed out a few days ago." Laura responded.

"We should tell everyone," Derek said. Laura nodded as they walked to the Camaro. They put everything in the backseat and pulled off the corner, leaving downtown.

* * *

"Why are we suddenly going to the mall?" Erica asked.

"For reasons, Erica," Stiles responded.

"Why?" She asked. She was suspicious of Stiles. He was really cunning.

"Um, uh." Stiles stuttered. He was getting nervous.

"What are you hiding, Stilinski?" Erica asked as she watched her male friend sweat.

"Oh look! Rue 21 is having a sale!" Stiles yelled as he dragged Erica to her favorite store. Erica was quickly distracted by the special sale. After shopping and buying several pairs of heels, blouses, jeans and tees. Stiles dragged Erica out of there. He threw the stuff in the back and sped out of the parking lot.

* * *

"Where are we even going?" Erica asked. She had her eyes closed as Stiles led her around a building. He stops and looks at her. 

"Are you going to ask questions or see for yourself?" A few minutes later, they ended up in a room.

"Surprise!" the pack yelled as she walked in the room. She jumped and smiled as she opened her eyes. Everyone was there and holding gifts. They was even at a convention. Fans from all around came to see the new releases and classic comics. Cosplayers were decked out and ready for fun.  There were Batman, Superman, Sailor Moon, Conan Edogawa, Naruto and Akatsuki members among the fans milling around. Comic books writers and illustrators were at their booths or getting ready for panels.

The party room had props and posters all around. Pictures of celebrities and famous Cosplayers were all around. The room was filled with purple and silver balloons. A purple banner read 'Happy 17th birthday Erica!' in silver letters.

"Let's go and see what's up at the convention!" Erica cheered. They all separated and looked around the convention. Most of the boys went to the DC panel. While Danny and Jackson went to the Marvel booth.

"Oh, Stiles, I see the manga and the graphic novels booth!" Cora yelled as she dragged Stiles towards the after-mentioned booth. Laura went along curious to see the new releases. Allison, Lydia and Erica were already there reading manga. Lydia was going through several romance graphic novel series, while Allison and Erica enjoyed reading the Magical Girls shojo manga.

"Which do you like best? Sailor moon, Magic Knight Rayearth, and Case Closed?" Erica asked Stiles.

"I like all of them! Why must I choose?!" Stiles complained. In the meantime, Derek had arrived in time to hear his mate's revelation, he was shocked.

"Awesome!" Allison yelled.

The pack brought some of their favorite manga and graphic novels. Some writers were generous enough to give out signed copies of their work. Allison, Cora and Erica were giddy with their signed copies of Case Closed, Sailor Moon and Magic Knight Rayearth. Stiles also enjoyed his own copies along with an edition of Batman. Lydia was happily reading her signed copies of Fushigi Yugi and Absolute Boyfriend. After buying their merchandise, they were hungry. So they went back to the party room and ate lunch and cake. Cora had made a red velvet cake for Erica. After finishing eating, they went back to the floor and checked out more panels.

* * *

Several hours later, Jackson nearly broke several speeding laws trying to get to the park. He parked and saw Danny. The boy was slouched over, his face in his hands as he cried. Jackson was thinking of a million ways to kill the cheating bastard who had put his best friend through the wringer.

"Where's the scumbag and do you want me to kill him?" Jackson spoke as he went over to the other boy.

"Just make him suffer but don't kill him," Danny sadly chuckled. Jackson had been this protective since they were children. He threatened to kill a dog because he bit his German shepherd. Danny stopped him because animal cruelty was not the answer. Neither was murder.

"Later, but for right now, I'm staying with you. We can go out and have fun." Jackson decided.  Danny smiled and headed back to Jackson's house with his friend in tow. They camped out in the basement watching Breaking Bad and pigging out. Eventually the boys noticed that it was getting late. The clock read as 11 pm.

"I'll call your parents and explain everything. You can crash in my bedroom," Jackson offered. Danny nodded and yawned as he walked upstairs. Jackson made the call and went upstairs to sleep besides Danny like they used to do as kids.

* * *

Erica and Boyd was hanging out at his house. He had brought her present, but preferred to give it to her in private. It was a Ruby pendant on a sterling silver chain.

"This is so beautiful! This is so thoughtful! Thank you, Boyd." Erica breathed as she opened the jewelry box to see her gift. She hugged and kissed her boyfriend. Boyd smiled softly and pulled her close. He kissed her softly, whispering sweet nothings to her. He held her close like she was the most precious thing in the world. 


	23. Nov 15th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lydia and Danny sets up a trap and another party has their secrets revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 23. I'm near to the end of the secret arc. If all goes according to plan, I'll be able to complete the secret arc by the end of next week.

Lydia was hanging around at Danny's house. They were trying to find a pattern between the Alpha attacks and Scathri's thefts. Pins littered the map for the crime scenes. Some were relatively close.

"This guy is either bold or a local. He is obviously familiar with Beacon Hills." Lydia stated.

"Yeah. Do you see a pattern?" Danny replied.

"He likes out of the way places. Has he tried the preserve yet?" Lydia said.

"He hasn't tried the preserve, but there is nothing to rule it out." Danny answered.

"Anyway, a trap is our last resort with Scathri. There's been so many dead ends." Lydia spoke.

"Does anyone we know have any heirlooms or rare jewels? We could use them as bait?" Danny suggested.

"I could ask Jackson, but we'd have to get past his mom and dad. I'm pretty sure that Scathri doesn't have the sacks to go after the sheriff's heirlooms. Stiles's mom had this gorgeous heirloom jewelry collection." Lydia responded.

"Do you have any?" Danny asked.

"I have some from my grandma. My mom has some from her grandmother too." Lydia responded.

"Would your mom agree to being bait?" Danny wanted to know.

"I'll ask, but I'm pretty sure it's a yes." Lydia answered. Danny put the map up on his wall as Lydia made a call to her mom.

* * *

Isaac tagged along with Jackson to visit Mr. Whittemore's office. They decided since they would be working together for a long time, they should work on their friendship. As they were about to enter his dad's office, Jackson stopped Isaac.

"Dude what's up?" Isaac asked. Jackson pointed inside the office and there sat Hestia in a chair in front of David Whittemore's desk.

"What is she doing here? Is she like a client?" Isaac asked as he stared at one of their current suspects. A few minutes later David came out of his office with Hestia behind him.

"Oh boys, it's good to see you here. This is my client Hestia Abbott. Hestia, this is my son Jackson and his friend, Isaac." he greeted the teens warmly.

"When did you take her on as a client, Dad?" Jackson asked, as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Are you accusing her of something, son?" David asked raising his eyebrow. Isaac knew that someone had to explain, so he stepped up to the plate.

"The night the Winters threw their party, we questioned everyone. Some people either had weak alibis or couldn't confirm their alibi. We're just trying to set things straight." the curly-haired boy explained.

"She was also with me that night, too. She got there late because we had a meeting about her case." the lawyer responded.

"Well then, where was she when Ares was killed?" Jackson wanted to know.

"I had to meet with everyone involved in the lawsuit to see if we could reach an agreement. David here along with company representatives and their lawyer can vouch for me." Hestia explained.

"Well then you're clear. If you see or hear anything, tell us and we'll get back to you." Isaac said. Hestia nodded and left the firm. David let the boys in his office, giving them stern looks.

* * *

Peter and Chris were at Alan's office to get some answers. The Alpha was closing in on everyone and they needed to stop it before things escalated further. They also needed to protect the new werewolves.

"This Alpha is cutting close. What are we going to do?" Chris asked.

"I don't have a permanent situation, but I do have wolfsbane bullets and mountain ash." Alan answered.

"Is there any way to break the bond between Alpha and beta?" Peter asked.

"I'm not totally sure. I could look through some books, but if that doesn't pan out, I'll check with Talia." Alan answered.

"Can you figure out the Alpha's motives? If he has a pack already, then why go after innocent teens and young adults?" Chris wanted to know.

"Is he old enough to have his own pack?" Peter asked.

"Seems like it," Chris responded.

"That's nothing good. The next time you see him, try asking him." Peter responded.

"Wow, Peter. I'll take that advice," Chris hissed, rolling his eyes.

"Either quit arguing or take your lover's spat somewhere else." Alan suggested not really wanting his clinic to be used as a battleground. Peter and Chris grumbled about not being a couple before leaving. Deaton had a little smirk on his face. Those two are absolutely ridiculous, even Derek could see the chemistry between them.

* * *

"We need to get some books for Christmas," Stiles said as he dragged Derek in the book store. Cora and Laura were walking right behind him and were looking around too. When Cora was walking through the romance section, she spotted a giant sign. It said 'book signing by J.R. Truitt.' Cora looked at the long line and saw Hades. Her mouth dropped open and she hustled to Stiles and Derek. 

"Oh my God! Hades is J.R. Truitt!" Stiles exclaimed when the duo were told what Cora'd just learned. Derek covered his mouth and looked at him with a scowl. Stiles licked Derek's hand and grabbed two books when the werewolf flinched back. He ran to the line and waited behind three people in front. He walked up to Hades and smiled.

"My friend's mom and one of my best friends loves your books." the teen spoke.

"Oh God. What the hell are you doing here, kid?" Hades whispered as he looked at the teen. He looked around and saw the Hale siblings with the teen and paled.

"Early Christmas shopping and other stuff. The question is what are you doing here?" Cora answered.

"I'm just signing books, okay? As you can see, I'm a best selling artist." Hades answered. In the meantime, Derek had managed to grab nearly all copies of Hades's books off the shelf, before he headed over to the table.

"Would you mind answering a few questions?" Derek spoke up.

"Ugh. What questions?" the writer groaned deciding to just get the questioning over with.

"Where were you when Ares was murdered?" the beta werewolf asked.

"I was at a meeting for my book signing here. I had to talk with the owner of this bookstore." Hades answered. He was relieved that the questions wasn't as bad as he had feared. 

"Thanks, and uh, can you sign some books? My mom loves your work." Derek asked as he finished dumping all of the books on the table. Unknown to nearly everyone, there were two extra books Derek had added to his pile. Stiles' mouth dropped open when he noticed that both of his books were missing from his hands.

"Wait, Mom likes most of Hades's work except for those two books." Cora said. It was true that Talia did like Hades's work, but those certain books wasn't exactly her favorite.

"I guess we just saw Mom's Christmas gift," Laura commented smirking. Stiles was still grumbling about stupid werewolf speed. Hades signed the books. Derek smiled at him and headed to the counter to pay for the books. He handed Stiles his two books before the group left the bookstore.

* * *

 Scott and Allison were on a date to see 'Les Miserables' at the Beacon Hills Theatre. They loved the movie and wanted to give the local theater a try. After giving a standing ovation, Scott and Allison went up to the stage to meet the cast. They smiled and asked questions about their performances. They were about to leave when Scott ran into someone. The person fell back a couple of steps and looked at them. Allison's eyes went wide when she saw who it was. It was Matt.

"What are you doing here, Matt?" the shocked Allison asked. As her doubts came back, she was now wondering if Erica's accusation had any truth to it.

"Oh, I was taking pictures of the cast for the school paper," Matt responded as he showed them his camera. Allison and Scott accepted the explanation but were still wary. They left the theater, feeling really uncomfortable.


	24. Thanksgiving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack celebrates Thanksgiving with a good old-fashioned prank.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another filler chapter, we'll return to the plot in the next chapter.

The McCall house was bustling. Everyone were hurrying to set the table so they could eat and throw the football around on the front lawn. It was a yearly tradition between Scott and Melissa that now included Isaac. Scott put down two pies as Isaac set out the turkey, gravy and potato salad. Melissa set the cranberry sauce, yams and teapot down in the center. The pies were pumpkin and chocolate.

"I've never had this much food at Thanksgiving in awhile," Isaac marveled in awe. Melissa looked at Scott, and her son looked right back at her. They really didn't talk about Isaac's home situation since he moved in. The only time it's ever mentioned is at Isaac's therapy sessions. The trio sat down to eat their dinner. They talked about what they would do for the rest of the day. After they cleared their plates, they went to toss the pigskin. Melissa laughed as the boys ran after her. It was a good Thanksgiving. 

* * *

In the meantime, the girls were setting up the dining room table at Allison's house. Her house was big enough to host everyone for dinner, so they set up camp there. The men were in the living room catching up on the football game before they went out to play themselves. While everyone was distracted, Stiles got the bag of mountain ash he swiped from Chris's office. He lined the hallways and door entrances with it, waiting for Allison to get her father and Peter. Allison was walking Chris and Peter to the hall closet. She said she needed more dish rags off the top shelf. Allison got them far enough into the closet that she could shove the door closed and lock it. While Allison was locking the door, Stiles was using the last of the mountain ash to line the closet doorway. After he was finished, he started rubbing the mountain ash off his hands. They shared a high five before sitting down on the steps. A moment later, the female Hales showed up to join the duo.

"Nice work, guys!" Cora cheered. Talia and Laura were right behind her, giving the duo approving looks. Just then Derek arrived on the scene and saw the group.

"Why are you guys taking up all the space in the hallway? What is going on?" he asked into confusion.

"Oh just nothing," Stiles said as he pulled Derek by the collar down the steps. Derek didn't want to fight the human teen, so he went willingly.

"You guys won't be let out for a few hours. Don't worry though. You'll be out in time to eat Thanksgiving dinner," Talia chuckled as everyone walked down the steps.

Meanwhile in the closet, Peter and Chris weren't happy. Chris was crimson with embarrassment. Peter was looking aggravated and desperate.

"I shouldn't have jinxed it, huh?" Chris mumbled. Peter scowled at him and nodded.

"You did this when we were kids and you said that the principal wouldn't suspend us for nearly blowing up the kitchen! What makes you think you wouldn't jinx us again?!" Peter ranted. After Peter wound down, the pair sat in the closet, trying to be as far away as the small space could possibly allow them.

* * *

Two hours later, Derek and Stiles were helping Allison by setting the dishes out in the kitchen. They had spent some time in there, giving the pack enough time to surprise them. The rest of the pack had arrived and helped set everything up. It was the duo's birthday soon and they had been planning for awhile. When Derek and Stiles finished up, they went out to the living room.

"Surprise!" the pack yelled, Stiles nearly had a heart attack when everyone sprang out of their hiding places. Derek was awestruck. There was Thanksgiving and birthday party decorations all over the place. It looked like a party store threw up in the living room.

A few minutes later, Isaac left to go upstairs. He had to use the bathroom but didn't know where it was. He tried using every door, finally stopping at what he thought was the bathroom. He swept away the dust in front of it and opened the door. Peter and Chris came tumbling out. Once free, they jumped up and ran down the steps, only to end up in the living room. Everyone were getting the wrong signals from Peter and Chris's ruffled looks. The messed up clothes and hair gave them the wrong idea. Except for Stiles and the girls. They knew differently.

"Did you guys do something up there?" Sheriff Stilinski asked. Scott's eyes was wide and he looked traumatized by the mere thought of them sleeping together. Cora was leaning on her father's shoulder as she tried not to laugh. Derek was busy analyzing the situation. Stiles and all the women were upstairs at the same time as Peter and Chris. He didn't hear anything and they all seemed fixated on the closet...

"Did they lock you in the closet?" Derek finally asked. Peter grunted to confirm Derek's suspicions as Chris stared into oblivion.

"And I thought that coming out of the closet was just a metaphor," Jackson chuckled as Stiles spat out his soda and Cora kneeled over in laughter.

"Y'all stop picking on the poor fellas. Y'all made me lose a bet!" Will grumbled as he handed a 20 dollar bill to Cora. Peter flipped off his brother-in-law as Chris grumbled about downing a bottle of Jack Daniel's.

* * *

 A few hours later, Lydia and Allison were painting their toenails for their girl's night at Lydia's house. Erica and Cora had plans and couldn't make it. The girls were discussing whatever was on their minds, one of them being their relationships.

"So, Jackson and I are hitting one big rough patch, and I doubt we're getting out of it anytime soon," Lydia was saying.

"Same here. Ever since Scott got bit, everything is off. His human side doesn't care about mates, but his wolf side disagrees," Allison replied sadly.

"If it's not meant to be, who are we to fight it?" Lydia said.

"Okay. Well on a different note, did Scathri take the bait yet?" Allison asked changing the subject.

"We haven't had much reaction yet. We're getting there though. We're only down to eight suspects. It shouldn't be long until he shows his face and gets caught." Lydia responded.

"Sheriff said that there is a risk of death threats like Ares received before he died." Allison said.

"We need to warn everyone else. I can see how the Hales would react when they find out that Stiles is being threatened," Lydia responded.

"Oh God, my dad is just as bad!" Allison groaned.

"Tell me more," Lydia laughed as she dried her gel nail polish. Allison groaned and started telling the tale of a wayward baseball and how she got kicked off the team because of her dad.

* * *

Derek was hanging out with Stiles in his bedroom. Everyone was home and hanging out in the den. The couple just wanted to spend some time together.

"I got you something for when you wolf out," Stiles said, pulling the red collar out of his bag. The front had Derek on it with the triskele on the back.

"I got you something like that," Derek smiled. His gift was a triskele pendant. The pendant was a blood red like Alpha eyes.

"Oh Derek! I love it!" the boy says as he kisses his boyfriend. Derek wrapped his arms around Stiles and kissed him back. The pair pulled apart. This was a lovely birthday.


	25. Dec 11th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scathri walks into the trap and his identity is revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here with chapter 25. Finally, a case closes. But the mystery isn't over yet.

Derek walked into the front doors of the police station. He had the Sheriff's lunch and Stiles had sent him there. The receptionist looked up from her work and saw Derek. She smiled at him and tried to fix her hair.

"Oh hey. I'm here with the Sheriff's lunch," Derek smiled. He was totally oblivious to the receptionist's flirting. Tara walked over to greet Derek.

"Oh hi, Derek! Stiles told me that you was bringing his dad's lunch. He's right this way." Tara smiled, as she began leading him to her boss's office.

"Hi, Tara." Derek smiled as he followed the woman to Noah's office. Noah was sitting at his desk going over some paperwork. He looked up as Tara opened the door and escorted Derek in.

"Did Stiles send anything healthy?" he groaned as Derek handed the lunch bag over.

"Hello to you, too, Sheriff." Derek chuckled. Noah opened the lunch bag and started sorting through the contents.

"Well, at least he allowed me to have a turkey and cheese sandwich. He even gave me chips." Noah spoke as he took out a wrapped sandwich and a bag of crispy chips.

"He even put a sweet tea in there." Derek smiled. Noah found the tea bottle.

"Well, it must be a special occasion. It's usually milk." Noah answered. A few seconds passed before a deputy appeared in the doorway.

"Sir, we've brought in another suspect for questioning." he announced as he walked in. Noah nodded as he got up from his seat. He waved for Derek to follow him and they walked to the interrogation room. In the room sat Apollo looking impatient and checking his watch.

"Why was he bought in?" Noah asked.

"Our undercover cop caught him trying to scam people out of their money," Ryan responded.

"He's a con man, huh? That explains a lot." Derek said.

"What about Artemis? Is she in the family business?" Noah asked.

"He was alone," Ryan stated.

"Bring her in. She can help confirm her innocence." Noah replied. Ryan nodded and left. Noah went into the interrogation room. Derek stood and watched as the Sheriff talked to the suspect.

* * *

Two hours later, the pack camped out at Lydia's house. They were conducting a sting operation and wanted to be there to bear witness. They were in disguise so they wouldn't be recognized.

"Everything is in place," Lydia's mom said, looking through her jewelry box. She slowly walked out of the room, planning to hide behind the corner. A few minutes later, there was a bang. Everyone jumped and looked around. They started to find hiding places knowing that it was Scathri.

"Should we cross Apollo off the list?" Scott asked Derek as the duo found a hiding spot.

"I'm not truly sure. We had only scratched the tip of the iceberg when I left the station." Derek replied. A window shattered and footsteps fell heavy on the ground. They went still and settled in to wait, not wanting to spook the suspect. Scathri looked around and saw the jewelry box. He snickered and headed straight to the drawers and started to rummage through it. The thief was being careless and dropped a few pieces of jewelry. On cue, Scott sprang out of his hiding place and tackled him as Lydia grabbed the jewelry. Danny was recording the whole thing with a digital camcorder. They were going to hand this in for Interpol to use as evidence. Scott pinned Scathri down until the police could get there.

* * *

The pack was right behind the officers. The Sheriff and Tara were bringing Scathri in. The officers led the criminal to a holding cell. They sat him down on a bench, not unlocking his cuffs. The pack was escorted to the meeting room. They were chattering about catching Scathri.

"Well, one case is done. Plus we can cross a name off the list." Derek stated.

"I knew Hermes was a little suspicious, but an international criminal was not who I'd expect him to be." Jackson declared as he sat down on one of the plush chairs.

"Is it possible to return all the stolen jewels?" Lydia wanted to know.

"We found his stash. He has bank records so all jewels are accounted for." Tara answered.

"You'll have to ask Interpol that question. They keep all the evidence in this case." Ryan added as he indicted the evidence bags and envelopes. The pack sat down at a table. They needed to get back to the main investigation immediately. The stakes were rising and the killer was too close.

* * *

The pack scrambled into Stiles's living room. They were about to have another pack meeting.

"We're down to seven suspects, six if you count Apollo." Erica announced as she checked the suspect list.

"We need to check with the Sheriff to see if we can cross him off." Cora spoke up.

"I can do that." Derek volunteered.

"Thank you. The Sheriff kind of intimidates me." Isaac sighed into relief.

"Anyway, does Alyssa have any family members still living?" Boyd asked.

"It's been 25 years total, so it was a hard search. What I found was that she was adopted. Should we try finding her birth parents?" Danny answered as he went over his notes.

"Don't leave any stones unturned. It could come in handy." Allison said.

"We also need to check more alibis." Laura mentioned.

"Ares was castrated, so this could be a revenge murder." Lydia suggested. Nearly all of the male pack members cringed and either grabbed their crotch protectively or crossed their legs.

"Is it too early to identify a gender for the killer?" Erica wanted to know.

"It could be anyone either way. It could be a sibling or either parent." Derek responded.

"They would have to be very protective to be this extreme." Allison warned. The pack took their parts of the case and went to work. They had a short time frame because the killer could potentially impede the investigation.

* * *

 A plane landed at the Tampa International Airport. Interpol agents were on board. Taking a private jet would cause a panic in the country. So they had to go under the radar in this case. After the plane landed, the agents got off and headed to the service desk. They got a few tickets to fly to Beacon Hills. Then they sat down to eat some lunch while waiting for their flight.

"A bunch of teenagers and young adults caught an International criminal we've been trailing for nearly a decade. Boy, do I feel inadequate." an Interpol agent named Shikamaru said.

"It was a last resort sting operation. So don't feel bad." the leader of the group, who was named Amaryllis assured her colleague.

"What kind of evidence is there? Some people want their jewelry back." another female agent named Luna said.

"They have detailed records about the jewelry," a male agent named Naruto said.

"We also should be careful. There is a killer out there and we need to proceed safely. By the way, Dionysus is one of the suspects. We've been trailing him, too. He's living in Beacon Hills now. I think we should pick him up, too. It would be two for one." Amaryllis announced.

"How are we going to do that? His disguises are impeccable and he's elusive." another agent named Eriol pondered.

"We should get that group of teens to help. They caught an elusive criminal." Shikamaru responded.

"I'll consider it," Amaryllis responded, as they finished eating. The Interpol agents heard their flight being called. They threw away their trash and boarded the plane. Next stop: Beacon Hills.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you thought of Scathri's identity! I left some clues hinting to his identity!


	26. Dec 12th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Interpol sets up shop at the station.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 26, and the end of an arc. But the surprises aren't over yet...  
> Warnings: there is some angst in the 4th scene, if angst triggers you, then don't read!

Derek and Stiles met in the meeting room with two Interpol agents. They had to answer a few questions.

"Have you two had any previous encounters with Scathri?" Eriol began.

"Only as a civilian. At the party was the first time we met him." Derek responded.

"Define previous encounters," Stiles replied.

"We mean as a thief and as a civilian." Eriol finally said. He was rattled, why had no one ever warned him that Shikamaru had children living in Beacon Hills?!

"I refuse to answer your questions because you have insulted my intelligence," Stiles said. Derek gave him a weird glance. Stiles was a weird one, he swears.

"I'm sorry for Stiles," Derek groaned. Luna was behind them, chuckling. She thought Stiles was pretty funny.

"Shikamaru must have spawned. You act so much alike," Eriol groaned.

"I don't understand that reference," Derek responded.

"He's a genius with a cunning and evil humor. He is one of the most brilliant agents and he loves playing pranks on everyone." Luna explained.

"May I meet him?!" Stiles chirped. Derek was sending silent frantic gestures to Luna. He did not need the potenial additional problems that the meeting would bring! All of sudden a teenage boy turned up at the door.

"Excuse me, Stiles, is it okay to have my family heirlooms back?" Keegan asked. Luna picked up the Winters heirlooms and handed them to Stiles.

"Here they are. All pieces are accounted for. Case Closed." Stiles announced as he handed over the pieces to Keegan.

"Thank you so much." Keegan smiled happily.

"You're welcome. Take care." Derek answered. Keegan waved goodbye before leaving.

Down the hall, the Sheriff and other Interpol agents were hosting a conference. Members of the press and media outlets had turned up with TV cameras, notepads, pens or pencils and all necessary media equipment.

"I have the pleasure of reporting that the International criminal Scathri has been captured. He is in custody as we speak. If there is any questions, you have the floor." Noah announced.

"Will all victims have their heirlooms returned?" a reporter asked.

"Yes. We have all our evidence together, so there is no need to keep the heirlooms." Amaryllis replied.

"Who captured Scathri?" another reporter questioned.

"A group of teenagers and young adults closed the case for us. One of them is the Sheriff's son," Shikamaru replied. He was intrigued and wanted to meet the group that had managed to capture the elusive criminal. Instantly the reporter turned to the Sheriff.

"Sheriff, did you teach your son to be a detective?" a reporter asked.

"Um uh...yeah. Kind of." Noah replied awkwardly. When the conference came to a close, the other deputies began clearing the area. They wanted to escort the criminal to the interrogation room with no interruptions.

* * *

Derek and Stiles were on a double date with Boyd and Erica. The quartet was attending a Holiday Festival in a nearby town.

The town was ready for the holiday festival. It was a time when everyone became a family. Colored string lights and silver and gold garland had been wrapped around the street lamps. Holiday and wreaths hung from the street lights. Snowflakes, Menorahs, Dreidels, Stars of Davids, Candy Canes and Christmas trees had been stuck on the shop windows. Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa decorations were everywhere.

An old fashioned village had been set up with shops that sold things from Christmas Nutcrackers to various holiday items. There was a Santa's work shop with stations for making Gingerbread houses and decorating holiday cookies. There was a art and crafts table. A place where the children could have their pictures taken with Santa Claus was in another section of the workshop.

Vendors and booths were selling festival favorites. Hot dogs, deli sandwiches and treats were available to anyone that had a piece of change in their pockets. There were delicious drinks such as Egg Nog, hot cider and hot chocolate among the soda and water. Holiday cookies, cup-cakes and ice-cream could be found on the dessert carts.

The festival also had many games. Dunk tanks, basketball goals even food eating contests were there.

"Where do y'all want to go first?" Derek asked.

"What about the village shops? I heard they have a station for making gingerbread houses." Erica suggested.

"I'm going to go with Erica on that one. She makes awesome houses." Stiles smiled. Erica smiled and kissed Boyd on the cheek before grabbing Stiles. Stiles barely got a peck on Derek's cheek before he was dragged away to the scent of freshly baked cookies. 

"I don't know about you. But I'm hungry and there is a hot dog stand right there." Boyd laughed.

"Oh yes. I agree and Apollo's name is off the list." Derek smiled. The duo headed off to get something to eat.

* * *

 Noah seated Hermes in the interrogation room. He was about to question him and get his alibi for the record.

"Where were you the night of the party, Hermes? You are the only one without a credible alibi at the moment." Noah spoke as he switched the recorder on. 

"Okay, alright. Here's my alibi." Hermes relented as he began to talk.

_The night of the party, Hermes was sneaking to the second floor. The party was boring and he wanted to get a good look at the rest of the house. He was walking by a doorway, and saw Rose, reading a sheet of paper repeatedly. Hermes also saw other guests up there too. Athena, Hephaestus, Zeus, Dionysus and Poseidon all were up there. He found it very odd._

_Hermes snuck around some more before trying a door. He picked the lock and it swung open. Inside the room was the study with heirlooms all around the place. The man went in the room and carefully moves the items outside. He hides them in a house plant to get before he leaves. He snuck back downstairs running into Lydia and Jackson...  
_

"That's all that happened. I saw her alive, I swear." Hermes stated.

"Was the study clean when you went in? Was it the same way when you left it?" Noah asked.

"Yes to both. I like to be tidy and concise." Hermes answered.

"Thank you, two of the people you've mentioned are in the clear. The other three, we will be keeping an eye on. Noah ended the interview and the deputies escorted Hermes back to his cell. Hermes was now in the clear since Scathri never took a life. However, they had a whole list of suspects to follow up on.

* * *

 Allison and Scott were in the park at the same time as Lydia and Jackson. They were going to end their relationships.

Scott had been jittery and out of character. He was snapping at everyone without explanation. It was like he had never learned how to control his wolf.

"We need to talk, Scott. I've been meaning to tell you this for awhile." Allison began.

"What is it?" Scott asked.

"It's become evident that your wolf can't accept me as its mate. I don't want anyone to get hurt because of this, so I think we should break up." Allison said sadly.

"No, Allison! Please don't," Scott whimpered. His wolf side was preening but his human side was upset.

"I do care about you, Scott. I really do, but I have no choice. Your mate is for life and I'm not that person. You will always be my friend. Just remember that." Allison whispered. She wrapped her arms around Scott and hugged him tight. She was going to miss this feeling.

In the meantime, Jackson was not having the same reaction as the distraught Scott. He was a human and he really didn't know what a mate was. However, it didn't mean that this hurt any less.

"We really need to break up. The way this relationship is going, we're going to break up anyway, but end up hating each other. I want to be your friend and not your enemy." Lydia explained, her voice was calm but sad. 

"I'm not going to say that I'm happy because I'm not. I just know you are right, and that it is better to have you as a friend than as someone I would hate." Jackson admitted.

A few minutes later, the girls left the sad boys in the park alone. They met up in the front of the park gates. As soon as Allison saw Lydia, she broke down. The strawberry blond wrapped her arms around Allison.

"Why does it always hurt to do the right thing?" Allison sobbed.

"It's how it works. The world is cruel, but eventually, it will make sense. I promise you." Lydia vowed. Allison continued to cry in Lydia's shoulder. She will listen to her, but that doesn't mean she'll ever believe it.

* * *

Cora tagged along with Derek and Stiles to the town square. Laura had left to go out with friends, so that left the three to go out to eat. The group had found a little artsy cafe. They were almost there when Cora was knocked back on her butt.

"Excuse me," she mumbled as she got up. Derek growled under his breath when they saw Matt. Not only he had knocked down his sister, but he was also stalking his mate! Just then a person ran past the group. They nearly made everyone stumble. Derek sniffled around and caught the scent. It was so familiar to them, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Interpol agents came running up afterwards, flashing their badges. Derek knew immediately what was going on.

"Stop! He's a wanted criminal!" an agent yelled. Matt snuck away from all the chaos and got out of there. He snapped a few pictures of Stiles before he left though.

"Okay, I am lost. Who is wanted and why?" Cora spoke at last.

"Dionysus is wanted for smuggling weapons and selling them on the black market." Naruto answered.

"Oh my God! How did we not know this?!" Stiles exclaimed into horror.

"Well, I've heard tons of secrets since the party, but I wasn't expecting that." Derek commented.

"Can you help us? He is in disguise but I bet you can tell him apart from everyone else." Shikamaru requested.

"Yeah. Besides, we need to check out his alibi for Rose and Ares's murders." Derek responded. 

"Um, who is Shikamaru? I can't keep up with all of your names?" Stiles asked.

"I'm Shikamaru. You must be the Sheriff's son." Shikamaru replied smiling.

"Yes, I am him!" Stiles smirked.

"There isn't a world or Milky Way big enough for you two." Derek groaned.

"Oh God no!" the other Interpol agents yelled out in horror as Luna chuckled. Stiles smirks at the group. This is going to be a beginning of a beautiful partnership.


	27. Christmas Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack celebrates Christmas, but get an unwanted gift.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to be late, but I accidentally pressed the wrong button and lost my first version of this chapter. I had to start all again.  
> Anyway-this is mainly a filler chapter.  
> Mama Stilinski's name was announced so I updated the tags accordingly.

The Hales and Stilinski family members piled in the living room. They wanted it to be a family afffair when unwrapping gifts. The Christmas tree tilted due to all the gifts piled up under it. The Christmas tree was adorned with colored lights, silver and blue ball ornaments and homemade ornaments. Stiles was wearing his Robin pajamas, while Laura wore a nightgown. Cora had a tank top with shorts, Derek was wearing a tank top with pajamas bottoms. The rest wore robes over their pajamas.

The Hale siblings all received new clothes and gift cards to their favorite stores. Derek got the latest books by his favorite supernatural horror writers, Cora and Stiles teamed up and gave him the first manga volumes of Petshop of Horrors and Count Cain Saga. Cora and Stiles got their own copies of the latest Sailor Moon and Case Closed manga volumes. Stiles got a new Batman comic and a book titled 'Fantasic Beasts and Where to find them.' The adults got household items and other stuff.

Talia opened her gift, and took out a hardcover and opened it to read the first few pages. She gasped when she saw the handwriting on the inside cover.

"Oh honey! This is so unexpected." she breathed, as she looked at the handwritten words.

"What did he give you?" Noah asked.

"Autographed books by her favorite writer J.R. Truitt." Laura replied.

"How did you manage that?" Will wanted to know.

"J.R. Truitt was in town. Turns out he's Hades. Oh, and those books were on sale." Derek replied. Talia smothered Derek with kisses in thanks. He tried to fend off his mother failing miserably. The group laughed at him the entire time.

* * *

"Then he just bounced off the chair and landed face down on the cake! Several of his older cousins declared on the spot that they had lost their appetite and didn't want any cake." Noah snorted. The adults burst out laughing, as Stiles turned red in embarrassment.

"At our annual monthly family reunion, Derek had been talking with Peter about something, when all of sudden Derek took his clothes off. He was completely naked. He ran through the forest that way for hours. I've never been so mad at Peter in my life." Talia answered.

"Talia took forever to forgive me," Peter winced at the memory. His sister had been on the warpath for weeks afterwards.

"Can you blame her? It took us 5 hours to catch Derek." Will stated.

"I remember seeing that! I was so scarred! There were only us children left in the house with Grandpa and Grandma Hale when the rest of the other adults went on a manhunt for Derek." Laura groaned.

"How old was Derek?" Noah asked.

"8 years old." Will answered.

"Peter, you will be forever prevented from seeing my future kids. I don't want history to repeat itself." Stiles announced.

"He's not that bad. Give him a storybook and he'll have your kids sleeping like it's nothing." Will assured the teen.

"Do you already have a father in mind for your future kids? Yah know like a partner?" Cora babbled. Stiles choked. He didn't want to say the name and possibly weird the other person out. He just spares a glance at Derek, not drawing his eye.

"Anyway, I remember when Stiles wandered off one day. The babysitter threw a fit, we eventually found Stiles about 3 hours later in Scott's yard." Noah spoke quickly changing the subject. He wasn't ready to think about grandchildren yet, not when his son was underage!

"Was that how they met?" Will asked.

"Oh yes. Melissa was waiting on the porch with Stiles and Scott perched in her lap. They were playing with Power Rangers." Noah answered.

"Oh god, that has nothing on the time when Derek found Peter's porn and toys. That was beyond uncomfortable. Especially when Derek was asking his older cousins what they were for." Will responded.

"Do you have to bring that up? Mom and Dad nearly killed me for that!" Peter complained.

"You're the one who left them lying around in the open." Talia retorted.

"The only outrageous thing Stiles ever did was to find a wolf and bring him home and ask if we could keep him. He wasn't happy when Claudia said no and that the wolf already had a family." Noah mused. Derek looked at Stiles in shock.

"What kind was the wolf?" Cora asked.

"Black fur with blue eyes." Noah answered.

"Oh yes, I remember Claudia bringing the wolf back to us. We were foster parents for the zoo at the time." Talia replied. She was using the cover story the Hale adults frequently used when the cubs would shift in their wolf form and get lost in the forest only to be found by humans.

"Oh my God! That was you?!" Stiles hissed to his boyfriend. The older teen just nodded still shocked. Derek was shocked that he hadn't recognized his mate. He somewhat knew who Claudia was and had an idea about who Noah was. But Stiles's teenaged self bore little resemblance to the little boy that had given him cuddles and kisses.

"Uncle Peter is just as bad as them. We were test subjects for a prank war." Laura grumbled.

"Erica and Lydia used to force Stiles to play tea party." Noah chuckled slightly.

"Oh that would be so cute!" Cora squealed.

"Derek went into some of Deaton's private equipment and got banned from the clinic for weeks." Talia spoke.

"Oh my God! Will you please stop!" Stiles screeched all the while blushing furiously. Derek's face was a faint shade of pink. The adults laughed at the pair's embarrassment. They were so cute.

* * *

 The pack had piled into the Stilinski house. They were watching Christmas specials in the living room. Erica was messing with Lydia when she spotted the mistletoe sprig hanging over the doorway leading to the kitchen. She jumped up and grabbed Boyd, dragging her boyfriend under it. Erica sealed her mouth to Boyd's. He kissed her back gently, wrapping his arms around her waist. Stiles chuckled and grabbed Derek's sleeve. The young man rolled his eyes but obliged. Stiles pecked Derek on the lips before giving him a full kiss. Derek chuckled and kisses him back. A few minutes passed before Erica turned to Isaac.

"Isaac, I need your help with the cakes," Erica smirked. The older teen nodded and walked to the doorway. He ended up caught next to Danny under the mistletoe. The two boys were utterly unaware of their present setting. The pack gave them strange looks.

"You guys are standing under the mistletoe." Derek stated.

"Well, this is just great! No offense to you, Danny. You are very handsome." Isaac snarled. He was not happy about his current situation.

"None taken. You're pretty attractive yourself." Danny responded. He was just as uncomfortable as Danny was. This was beyond awkward. Since they weren't an actual couple!

"You can't argue with tradition, children. So just kiss and get over it." Cora chuckled. Isaac sighed and Danny shrugged. The Hawaiian put his arm around the other boy's waist and took his chin in his hand. Isaac sighed and pressed his lips to Danny's taking his face in his hands. Jackson and Scott were bristling at the intimate contact. They couldn't understand why, but they were really annoyed by this whole situation. Danny pulled away and smiled at Isaac. The blond blushed and looked away. The pack laughed and clapped. Well, everyone but Scott and Jackson.

* * *

Noah was watching the Christmas Story when he got a call. He stepped aside and took the call. He looked irritated and grumbled before hanging up.

"I have to go in." he said. Several teenagers including Stiles and Scott protested.

"Whoever is pulling you away has as much spirit as the Grinch." Scott grumbled. Several pack members nodded in agreement. Noah chuckled as he grabbed his jacket and drove to the lacrosse field. As he got out and ducked under the yellow tape, he passed a traumatized looking civilian talking with a couple of deputies. The civilian had a shock blanket wrapped around his shoulders. Noah continued walking and saw a bunch of deputies squatting next to the body. The body was cold from the winter air. It was in a fixed position, lying face down with its head to the side and arms at its side.

"What happened? How did he die?" Noah asked the others.

"There was a jogger doing his warm up routine when he came across this boy. It was on its back before the Forensics team came." a deputy explained.

"Get this. It was a violent death. The jogger nearly passed out on the phone when he told us that the throat was missing. It had been ripped out." Ryan informed Noah.

"Could this have anything to do with the mountain lion attacks?" Noah sighed.

"Maybe, but we need more evidence to back it." Ryan answered. The medical examiner picked up the body a few minutes later. Noah was already calling home. He wanted Stiles to know about the new attack. This was a killing not a bite.

"Hello, this is the Stilinski residence. Peter Hale speaking." Peter answered.

"Hey, Peter, it's Noah. Look, I'm at a new crime scene and these attacks have turned into killing. Please let Stiles know. I'll be out here for awhile." Noah related the recent developments to his friend. Before ending the call. Peter hung up the phone. He looks at the group and swallows. Well this has escalated.

* * *

Peter had left for the police station, grabbing Chris on his way out. They needed to give Noah an overdue explanation. Talia was in the den explaining Mates 101 to Scott and Erica.

"Okay, the concept of mates is complicated, yet simple. It just depends on the emotional attachment at the time of mating," Talia said. Scott and Erica nodded, paying close attention. Erica smiled. Boyd was her mate. She had figured it out, but didn't pay much mind to it at the time.

"Well then why did my wolf reject Allison?" Scott asked.

"Well, it seems that your human emotional attachment decides that Allison is your one and only. The thing is, wolves are more connected to your heart than you really know. They hold deep seeded feelings that haven't been realized." Talia explained.

"Oh," Scott slumped. He really cared about Allison, but he would have to admit that she wasn't the one.

"Hey, how do I explain this to Boyd?" Erica gestures.

"You need a time where you are alone. No distractions makes it easier for it to soak in. Don't expect him to warm up to it automatically, but don't expect him to reject it either. That's all for today. I'll teach you some more things soon. Have a good time tonight." Talia smiled. The pair nodded before they returned to the group.


	28. Full Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack prepares for a full moon that no one will forget.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here with chapter 28, this is the Full Moon chapter. Enjoy!

It had been two weeks ever since the Alpha escalated from turning people to killing them. After the first death, Noah had called a press conference in front of City hall to warn the public.

_'The animal attacks that have been happening recently have escalated. Sadly, we're here to announce that we've found a body that shows signs of an attack." Noah announced. The mayor was there with some of the deputies.  
_

_"Is there any chances that this will happen again?" a reporter asked sounding worried._

_"Given the recent history, yes. We're imposing a curfew to protect citizens. I know that the curfew will upset some young adults and teens, but it's for the public's safety." Noah stated.  
_

_In the meantime, the Alpha stared at the TV in the store window. He couldn't express his anger in public, but he would later in private. The Alpha growled to himself.  
_

_**The Sheriff is meddling again. He is stopping his work. So he has to pay! But he won't understand unless something happens to his son...** The Alpha walked away from the window. He had planning to do.  
_

The pack was beginning their meeting in the den at Stiles' house. They had been working with Interpol to try to capture Dionysus. They, however was having no such luck.

"A body was found that is linked to the Alpha. The whole town is on high alert and in danger." Stiles began.

"The full moon is tonight, so Scott and Erica need to stay here. We'll lock you in the basement." Derek warned.

"I wish we didn't have to be locked up." Scott responded. Erica was looking torn, while she agreed with Scott about being locked up, she also didn't want anyone to get hurt.

"You have no control of the wolf, so you have no say." Derek stated. Scott winced at the reminder. For some reason he was having problems finding an anchor. He had tried using his mom and Allison, but it didn't work.

"I have an anchor now, Derek." Erica spoke up.

"Who is your anchor?" Lydia asked.

"It's Stiles." Erica replied. Laura took over and explained that family and friends could be used as an anchor until the werewolves found their mate and the mate bond was secured. The human pack members nodded their understanding.

"With the Alpha out there, we don't need any betas in danger." Derek spoke ending the discussion.

"Does anyone has any leads on the embezzling?" Danny spoke up, changing the subject topic.

"We are working on the list." Lydia answered.

'We're trying to see if any of them have a Swiss bank account." Stiles added.

"Danny can you cross check them?" Lydia asked Danny.

"Yeah, I can do that." Danny responded.

"By the way, have you managed to track down Alyssa's birth parents?" Allison wanted to know. The boy groaned at the reminder of his search.

"It was easier said than done. There were tons of girls born and given up for adoption the same year as her." Danny grumbled.

"Are you any closer to finding them?" Derek asked.

"Not yet, but I'm close." Danny replied.

"We should try finding Elizabeth next, it's been 3 months. Let's see if she is ready to talk." Stiles suggested. After several teens echoed their agreement to Stiles's idea, the pack ended the meeting. They had to look at some leads and try to get people to talk.

* * *

  _Peter and Chris had gone to the station to talk with Noah. They had to get him alone so they could discuss werewolves in private without being overheard. They walked in Noah's office without a word and grabbed the sheriff. He didn't flinch or make noise as he was dragged out of the station and led to the Argent residence. After everyone were seated in the living room, Peter started talking._

_"So you probably wonder why we dragged you out of your office. Actually, I kind of wonder why we dragged you out of your office; a simple phone call would have sufficed." Peter mused. Chris smacked Peter on the head.  
_

_"This is too delicate to be a phone conservation, Hale. I swear, Stiles would cut off our balls if we gave his dad a heart attack." Chris scolded.  
_

_"Okay, explain to me why my son would castrate you?" Noah cut in.  
_

_"Well, for starters, the attacks on the kids and the murder victim wasn't an ordinary animal attack. Werewolves exists and they are behind the attacks." Chris started. Noah stared at his friend in shock and Peter chuckled.  
_

_"Boy, that was anti-climatic," Peter snorted.  
_

_"Tell me more and be quick about it!" Noah scowled. Chris swallowed and Peter stopped snickering. This just became serious. So both males settled down for a more thorough explanation._

* * *

Zeus was being pulled into questioning by a pair of deputies. Noah was interrogating suspects again. He needed to know what he could get out of him about both Rose and Ares' murders.

"Where were you when Ares was killed?" Noah asked after he pressed the play button on the recorder.

"I refuse to answer that question." Zeus stated.

"What was you doing on the second floor the night of the party? You had no reason to be there." Noah continued his questioning.

"I refuse to speak unless I have a lawyer present," was the reply. Noah sighs. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

 Stiles was pulling large chains over to where Erica was sitting.  He was helping Derek lock Scott and Erica in the basement for the full moon. It was for everyone's safety. Both betas wore metal collars. There was even leg irons and wrist cuffs with chains attached to the wall for Scott. No one wanted to chance the wolf getting loose in the house. Since Erica'd found her anchor, she had more control than Scott did. But full moons were unpredictable.

Outside, the Alpha was sitting in the tree looking over the Stilinski house. He wanted his revenge sooner than later. He sniffed the air. He could smell both betas from inside the house.

 _This was all perfect. It was the perfect time to get back at the Sheriff._ The Alpha was besides himself with glee. Immediately he centered himself and zoomed in on the female's psyche. He tried to access the connection. A moment later, Erica gasped as she twitched in Derek's grasp. She felt something pulling on her and it was persistent.

 _Kill the Sheriff's son._ the Alpha sent through their connection. Erica snarled, trying to fight the order.

"Laura! It's the Alpha!" Erica cringed at the way her voice broke. Her teeth lengthened and sliced her lips.

"What is he telling you?" Laura asked in worry as she ran down the steps to the secured girl.

"To kill Stiles." Erica answered as she desperately tried to fight the order. She didn't want to hurt Stiles! He's her anchor keeping her linked to humanity!

 _Kill him, Scott. Kill him now._ the Alpha sent out to his other beta. Having no anchor made Scott even more susceptible to the Alpha's orders. He growled and snarled at Stiles. The human backed up, ready to run with Laura if he had to.

"Derek, get Stiles out of here and quick! Call Uncle Peter and tell him that the Alpha made a move on the kids! Get Cora down here!" Laura yelled. Derek grabbed Stiles and ran. He yelled to Cora to get down to the basement before he made a break for the Camaro with Stiles in tow. A moment later, Derek was speeding off with Stiles in the passenger's seat. The younger teen was dialing Peter's number. In the meantime, Cora ran down the steps and immediately pushed Scott. She locked the chains tight on him and got the harness.

The Alpha left as soon as he heard Laura's orders. He wanted to kill the kid now, but that'd be risky with out of control and born werewolves looking for him. All he wanted them to know was that he had the power to break them.

* * *

 Lydia was moving on. Jackson was supportive of her seeing others, so it made it a little more easy to get there again. The date was going pretty good so far. Well, until Interpol got involved. 

"Sorry to interrupt your date, Ms. Martin, but we got a tip that Dionysus is here. We need to search everyone and the entire building." Shikamaru cleared his throat as he stood next to their table. 

"Dammit! Leave it to Interpol, to always screw up dates." Lydia fumed. She was livid. The Interpol had ruined her dates one time too many. Eventually the couple decided to leave the restaurant altogether. They were walking to another place when they ran in Elizabeth.

"Oh thank goodness it's you! I need to talk with you, if you're available," Elizabeth stuttered. The young woman looked visibly terrified and spooked.

"It's totally fine, honey, I'm available," Lydia whispered. She apologized to the guy she went out with and walked off with Elizabeth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I borrowed from canon. But there were aspects of canon I actually liked. And how else can I portray how despicable the Alpha is?


	29. Misunderstanding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A honest mistake causes trouble for the pack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back with chapter 29. I claim creative license for some of the details mentioned in this chapter.

The pack had clambered into the cafe. Elizabeth was supposed to meet them to talk about what she remembered.

"She's late. Where could she be?" Jackson frowned as he checked his wristwatch.

"Lydia, do you think it's possible that she changed her mind?" Stiles asked the strawberry-blonde.

"No. She set up the meeting herself." Lydia stated. She remembered all too well how desperate the older woman had been...

_After Lydia had walked off with Elizabeth, the older woman turned to the teenage girl._

_"I've found out some really important information. I need to talk with everyone." she spoke in a wobbly voice.  
_

_"Where should we meet you, and at what time?" Lydia asked.  
_

_"Oh, 11 am is the best time for me. I'll be going to the cafe at that time so just meet me there." Elizabeth responded. With that over with, the two women exchanged goodbyes, promising to meet the next day and went their separate ways.  
_

"She told me that this was her usual routine, do you think something happened to her?" Lydia asked.

"We should check on her. Check her house and see if she's there or not." Derek suggested. The pack started gathering their things together so they could leave and search. She was their only lead so far and they had to hear what she has to say.

* * *

The pack pulled up to Elizabeth's house. It was a 2 story Dutch Colonial house. Slamming the car doors, they bounded to the porch. They silenced the heavy steps of their feet to hear if there was anything inside. It was totally silent.

"It's way too quiet. I don't hear anything in there." Cora stated. She was frowning in concern.

"I don't like these odds." Derek spoke.

"Guys, the door is open." Scott announced as he tried the doorknob.

"We need to get in there now." Stiles replied immediately. Scott shoved the door in first, the pack following right behind him. What they saw made their worries increase. The place was trashed and not a single thing was untouched. Chairs and tables had been overturned, the sofa cushions were ripped apart. Drawers had been pulled out and dumped on the floor. Items had been swept off the shelves to the floor.

"Split up into pairs. No one is allowed to be alone." Laura ordered as she took charge. The pack split up through the different rooms finding more mess. The refrigerator door was ajar, the food was spoiled. All cabinets and the drawers showed signs of being searched. The phone had been unplugged. A lamp was broken. They searched, finding small Post-Its and folding them up. They could piece them together later.

"She's not here. Where could she be?" Derek commented. After they searched the entire house and found no trace of the young woman. They decided to report her missing. The sooner that she is found, the more likely she is safe. Since she was the oldest, Laura filled out the paperwork. A few deputies talked with the pack in the waiting room, trying to fill a few loose ends.

"Lydia, did she say where she was going before you guys separated?" Tara asked.

"Well, she did mention that she had one last stop to make for the night. She was going to swing by Jade's." Lydia responded. Allison pulled out her phone and started dialing a number. She talked with Jade, who seemed really confused. A few minutes later, Jade arrived with a confused expression on her face.

"What is going on?" Jade asked.

"Jade, Elizabeth is missing. Do you know where she went?" Tara asked.

"I only just saw her yesterday. She was fine, she spoke to me before heading home." Jade replied in a shocked voice.

"Well, her house was ransacked." Jackson replied.

"Why would someone do that? Does it has anything to do with Elizabeth wanting the pictures from the party?" Jade asked in confusion. 

"We think so. It's hard to tell." Allison responded. While Jade was giving her statement, Lydia grabbed Stiles and walked him to a far away corner.

"I think I have a way to trap Dionysus so the Interpol agents can get out of here and get Jackson and Scott's heads out of their asses. Maybe we should make Danny and Isaac date during the next trap." Lydia stated.

"Oh yeah. That'll totally work!" Stiles replied.

"Deal!" Lydia chirped. She waltzed back to the group sitting down as Stiles stared after her.

* * *

Laura dragged the betas to the forest, after the group split up and went their separate ways. 

"You need to focus on control. You nearly wolfed out and hurt someone. If you can work on control, you can fight the Alpha's impulses." Laura scolded the ashamed betas.

"We're really sorry about that. We're trying to apologize to Stiles, but all he does is to shake it off and gives us peanut butter cups." Scott spoke.

"Scott, you need to try finding your anchor again. This all can be solved if you just try." Laura responded.

"You know what they say, the third time's a charm." Erica replied.

"I'll try," Scott breathed. He sat on the ground and closed his eyes. He took deep breaths and thought to all the possible happy places. There was his mom and Stiles. Stiles was like a brother to him, albeit a different mother. He also knew about all of this from the beginning, so he focused on Stiles. Slowly his wolf settled into contentment. He opened his eyes and smiled brightly at Laura.

"Stiles is my anchor, Laura." Scott replied happily.

"Yay! That's two for Batman," Erica cheered. Stiles was one of her favorite people. The boy had been a steady presence in her life ever since they were small. When one of her epilepsy seizures had been taped and aired on Youtube, Stiles had somehow made all tapes vanish. To this day he still refused to tell her how he had managed that feat. (1)

 "Good job, Scott. You're ready for the rest of training at this point. Now, we need to work on dodging." Laura replied. The trio went out to a clearing and got in a defense stance. They trained while staying focused on their anchors.

* * *

 The pack was in a meeting with Interpol agents. Lydia and Stiles presented their idea.

"Okay, hear us out. We need you two to be a couple to help us catch a criminal. You can't refuse us, so don't even try." Lydia was saying. Jackson and Scott shot a dirty look at both Lydia and Stiles. Danny and Isaac just shrugged, not understanding their best friend's outrage. They weren't really dating after all. So a pair of real couples took Isaac and Danny to the skating rink. They needed to bond in order to sell their act.

"Okay, all you need to do is to show chemistry, kiss a little and smile a lot. Is that simple enough?" Erica was saying.

"We were going to put our two cents in but they do it better," Boyd commented with Derek nodding his agreement.

"This is so embarrassing," Isaac groaned and blushed.

"Don't worry. I've had boyfriends before. It'll be okay." Danny assured everyone.

"Just skate, guys." Derek supplied as he skated towards Stiles. Isaac nodded and took Danny's hand. The Hawaiian smiled and skated along. They were going to be amazing actors.

* * *

The Porsche drove up to Zeus' house. The pack had sent Jackson there to try getting Zeus to talk. They need to confirm his alibi. Jackson rang the bell. He stood there, trying to listen for a sound. When he was met with silence, he knocked hard on the door. After several minutes of futile knocking, Jackson opened the house door and entered the house. Walking slowly, he came to a room with a sign that said 'study' on it. He tried the knob but it wouldn't give. Jackson smelt something from the other side. It was metallic and he took that as warning. Jackson started to shove his body into the door. He gave it another shove before the door caved. When he caught a glimpse of the room, Jackson nearly vomited. There on the floor, lying in his own blood was the dead body of Zeus. His sightless eyes stared up at the ceiling. His face was frozen into a expression of horror and pain. Jackson walked further in the room, heading for the corpse with his hand over his mouth. He spotted something lying on the floor. It was a kitchen butcher knife. Jackson picked it up and looked at it, the former steel blade was coated in red. The red substance looked like paint but the scent was all wrong. Just then a horrified scream rent the air, and Jackson whipped around. The maid turned and started running down the hall screaming.

"Help! Someone killed my boss and he's still here!" the woman screamed in terror. Jackson started yelling after the fleeing maid.

"Wait! It's not what it looks like!" the teenage boy tried to explain. He didn't run after her. That would make everything even more complicated. He was already in enough trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. In canon Erica did have a seizure, and it was taped then aired on Youtube.


	30. Things are Getting Heavy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the pack gets closer to solving the case, things get dangerous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 30!  
> In this uni, Jackson has a better relationship with his adoptive parents than in canon. He knows they loves him and vice versa. He knows that his birth parents are dead.

About 15 minutes later, everyone from the deputies to the forensic technician team were gathered in the study. Some deputies were checking the other rooms in the house and taking the maid's statement. While Noah was talking with Jackson.

"Jackson, what are you doing here?" Noah asked.

"I came here to ask him something, only I found him dead right here." Jackson explained. In the meantime, the pack arrived at the house. As they crossed over the yellow tape and entered the room and found Jackson talking with the sheriff. They took a good look at him and knew something was wrong.

"Jackson's prints are on the murder weapon. The maid even said he was holding it." Ryan informed the sheriff.

"Jackson, you didn't?" Noah groans. Things was looking bad for the teenage boy. Why had he picked up the murder weapon? Surely his friends would have impressed the pressing need to handle potential evidence, and especially not to pick them up with their bare hands?

"We sent him here to get Zeus's alibi. We've told him not to pick up anything suspicious with his bare hands." Derek stated.

"You're going to need a lawyer. Although you are innocent, the evidence is saying otherwise." Noah sighed.

"Jackson!" Everyone turned to see David Whittemore running to his son. Jackson held out his arms for David to hug him. After they ended their hug, David turned to the sheriff with a questioning look.

"Jackson came here to get an alibi and walked in on a dead body. He grabbed the knife and the maid saw him with it. His fingerprints are all over it." Noah explained to the worried father.

"What? Do you need a lawyer, son?" David asked his son worriedly.

"Yeah. This probably will be cleared up when we get the ME reports back. Now take him home. We'll talk tomorrow." Noah responded. Then Jackson left the study with his dad. David had a worried wife to reassure and a lawyer to call.

* * *

Laura and Derek brought in a container of food that Stiles had made for dinner. There was even some sweet tea in a thermos. They were going to drop the dinner off at Noah's office when they saw the holding cell. Aphrodite was slumped over puffing a cigarette.

"Did Aphrodite get caught?" Derek asked Tara.

"Oh yeah. The charge is prostitution. That's a major charge, but it's not her first time." Tara responded.

"We know. We saw her in the Red light district months ago." Laura replied.

"Well then she hasn't learned her lesson. If you want to know more, Noah is in his office. Just ask him." Tara replied. The siblings thanked the deputy then continued on to the sheriff's office. They had chicken stir fry to drop off and questions to ask.

* * *

In the meantime, Erica, Isaac, Cora and Stiles were walking out of the arcade. They were talking about how Erica had cheated on Pac-Man when they got to Stiles' Jeep.

"Hey, what's this?" Isaac asked as he picked up a folded note under the windshield wipers. Stiles swiped the note from him and read it out loud.

_You shouldn't have went snooping in matters that doesn't concern you. You'll pay for this. Even with your life._

"Now, Derek won't let you out of the house unless you have a tracker on you." Cora commented.

"If he's threatening Stiles, will he threaten the rest of us at some point?" Isaac asked.

"Woah. Why are you guys standing out here in a huddled group?" Matt asked. The group jumped and stepped away from him. Boyd was left behind in the arcade to get a teddy bear for Erica. When he came out and saw his friends backing away from Matt, he knew that he had to intervene.

"Erica, I got you the bear you wanted." Boyd announced his presence.

"I'll see you guys later," Matt stuttered before taking off. As the group let out a breath of fresh air, they looked at Boyd like he had saved all of their lives. He pretty much did.

"We're really spooked. Stiles just got a death threat." Erica explained as she hugged her boyfriend.

"We need to talk with the pack. This is getting more serious than we thought." Boyd stated grimly.

* * *

 A meeting was called and nearly everyone rushed to the Stilinski household. John had paperwork to do so he was unable to make it. Everyone else were in a rush to find out what was going on and deal with it.

"Does anyone want to help with the search party for Elizabeth?" Lydia asked after Peter had called the meeting to order.

"Yeah, when does the search begin?" Laura asked. While Lydia was busy explaining the details, Derek turned to Danny and asked him a question.

"Danny, did you ever find the offshore swiss account?" the beta wolf asked the computer genius.

"Yeah, I found it and got a name. Zeus owned the account." Danny answered.

"Well, that case is closed." Stiles sighed as he wrote the words; 'Case Closed.' down in the embezzlement case section in his notebook.

"Wait! Since Zeus's dead, how can we get the stolen money back? How will we find out why he stole the money in the first place? Especially since the answers to those questions may have died with him!" Cora started firing off various questions.

"We should search his house for that answer. He could have had some records of how his money was spent before all of this." Lydia suggested.

"Since we've got a plan for that, how are we going to find Dionysus?" Allison pondered. So far the smuggler was proving to be difficult to catch! He was elusive like a phantom. She now understood the Interpol's frustration. But having them hanging around and ruining their dates was a pain, since everyone had to deal with Lydia's wrath to boot!

"Isaac and Danny are working on it." Lydia smirked before winking at Stiles.

"Anyway, is there anything else that we need to discuss?" Peter asked.

"Well, Stiles got a death threat when we were at the arcade." Cora announced.

"What?!" Derek growled, as his claws sprang out. Peter jumped up to hold him back.

"Then Matt scared us when he just showed up out of nowhere after we found the note. What I really want to know is should the rest of us expect death threats in the near future?" Isaac added. Derek shrugged Peter's arms off him. His family and his freedom was the only reasons why he hadn't hurt the punk. Everyone stared at Derek. He had never lost control like that before.

"It's okay, Derek. Please don't do anything stupid. I don't need you in jail." Stiles pleaded with his fuming boyfriend.

"I know you're protective of Stiles, but you can't act crazy over it. There are laws, remember?" Laura scolded her younger brother. Derek took in deep breaths as his claws retracted. He knew he was being irrational, but it was to protect Stiles. He loved him so much, and he only wanted the best for him. He didn't want to even begin to imagine a world without Stiles in it!

"Well, there are 5 suspects left now that Zeus is dead," Allison announced changing the subject.

"Have you found Alyssa's birth certificate?" Chris questioned Danny.

"Yeah. I have a printed copy at home." Danny responded.

"What are their names?" Erica wanted to know.

"Paul Lawson and Diana Lightfoot. They both signed the certificate and were unmarried." Danny replied.

"Did they have their ages on there?" Cora questioned.

"Yes. They were underage. They got too serious and forgot protection so there was a teen pregnancy resulting." Danny explained.

"Did they have any contact with her? Could they have found out about her death?" Laura asked.

"It was an open adoption. After all of that, I lost the paper trail on them when Alyssa died." Danny answered.

"There could have been a name change, or they emulated Dionysus and went to ground. For a name change, there are government files." Chris theorized.

"I'll do a background check on both of them. But I can't make promises that I'll catch onto something. Government sites and records are sealed airtight." Danny stated. Everyone nodded as the meeting was ended. Then everyone went their separate ways.

* * *

 Stiles had made chicken stir fry with rolls and rice to go with the main dish. Glasses of milk or water were the choices. The Argents, Hales and Stiles were seated at the table in the dining room conversing and eating. When Allison decided to ask Peter a question.

"So, Peter when are you going to make a honest man out of my father? That is when you become my step-dad." Allison asked.

"Yeah, when is Chris going to join the family?" Cora joined in with a devilish smile. Stiles started to laugh.

"Oh God! Not this!" the families heard Peter and Chris groan. Chris's face was pink with embarrassment, while Peter was shooting them evil looks. This was going to be good.


	31. Jan 17th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The murders escalates to the point of no return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 31. Sorry if it's short!  
> An unexpected twist occurred, so once again I'm updating the tags. More on that at the end of this chapter.

The Medical Examiner handed in his report." Noah announced. As he gathered his team of deputies in the meeting room. They were having regular meetings at this point. Someone had brought a box of donuts for the occasion, and the coffeepot had been moved to the meeting room.

"Did he find anything odd?" Tara asked.

"The body was frozen for an undetermined amount of time. It's pretty difficult to pin-point the exact time of death. It also says that Zeus was castrated." Noah responded.

"So it's official. We've got a serial killer." Ryan stated.

"Thank God! Looks like Jackson is cleared." Tara sighed in relief as she took the report from Noah and started to read it.

"I think the FBI should be called in at this point." a male deputy suggested. Noah cringed noticeably. The sheriff really didn't like Rafael McCall. The day he left was one of the saddest days of Noah and Stiles' lives. Seeing your best friends cry hurts you deeply. Noah has been a father figure to Scott ever since. And Deaton also was viewed as another role model. Pushing the sad thoughts away, Noah ended the meeting and took out his phone and dialed David. When David answered, Noah explained that Jackson was cleared and didn't need a lawyer after all. After giving the good news, Noah continued working. That weight was off but there was still more. Rafael was coming. This wouldn't end well.

* * *

 Lydia and Allison were enjoying a day of shopping. Retail therapy seemed to be in order for all that was going on. Besides the time spent together makes them closer. The girls were discussing the happenings over the last week as they sat down to eat lunch in Panera Bread. Lydia had ordered a strawberry poppyseed & chicken salad, while Allison had chicken and wild rice soup with a panini sandwich. They received bread as a side dish and petite cookies for dessert. Allison had ordered a Low-fat wild berry fruit smoothie, while Lydia ordered iced tea.

"How did the search at Zeus's house go?" Allison asked.

"We found another picture of Alyssa, a police report with mug shots of both Zeus and Ares, and a death threat." Lydia reported.

"The deaths must be connected. What I really want to know how the killer got their hands on a police report?" Allison responded.

"That's a good question. Only the victim and their families can get them." Lydia stated.

"Maybe it's Alyssa's birth parents we're looking for here. Since her adoptive parents have been dead for a decade." Allison suggested.

"Maybe. Have we even found Elizabeth yet?" Lydia wanted to know.

"No, and I'm losing hope." Allison spoke sadly.

"Don't. We're doing this to save lives. We can't give up now." Lydia replied. Allison nodded, as they began eating their lunch. That's all she could really do.

* * *

 Chris and Peter were searching the forest. They were looking for the Alpha, because the body of his recent victim had been discovered at the edge of the preserve. Chris had a shotgun while Peter had his claws out. Just then Peter caught a disgusting scent.

"Follow me," he said. Chris raised an eyebrow and followed. Following his nose, Peter came across what they've been trying to avoid this whole time.

"What is going on, Peter?" Chris asked.

"She smells like she's been dead for a week. The decomposition is just getting going." Peter announced as he brushed the leaves away to reveal the very much dead Elizabeth. A bullet hole was on the center of her forehead. Her eyes were wide open, and glazed over in death. Shock and terror shone in her sightless eyes. The things she must have seen and experienced. Peter mused.

"Call Noah and tell him." Chris told Peter. The wolf nodded, already having his phone out. This changes everything.

* * *

The forest was taped and cordoned off. The scene was clean and the forensics team was working their magic. Noah and the deputies were trying to piece together more clues.

"Can you pinpoint the time of death?" Noah asked the ME.

"About a week. I'll still need to do an autopsy because there are unexplained marks on her wrists and some unanswered questions." the coroner stated.

"What are the odds that Zeus and she was killed around the same time?" Tara questioned. The deputy smelt a rat, since they had two murder victims dead for a week. Zeus had been found dead, the exact same day Elizabeth was reported missing. There was no way, that the two deaths was unrelated.

"Very high, it is a 90% possibility." the coroner stated.

"Who died first? That can give us a window of timing." Noah responded.

"I'll have to check. Considering the fact that Zeus's body was frozen, he could have died first." the ME replied.

"Since there are no brain matter here, she could have been killed somewhere else." Ryan suggested.

"The more they kill, the better they get at covering their tracks." another deputy commented.

"That's not good enough! My son is at risk of dying here!" Noah shouted. The sheriff was furious that his only child was being threatened. First that lunatic alpha goes after him, now a serial killer has the sheer nerve to threaten his life in broad daylight! Tara rested a hand on Noah's shoulder. He just waved for the ME team to take the body. He needs a break in the case and fast before someone else was killed.

* * *

 The pack was meeting the IRS agent at the airport. They cleaned out Zeus's bank accounts and were going to give them the money.

"Thank you guys for figuring this mess out." Robert Clark smiled after they shook hands.

"You're welcome and thanks for giving them their money back." Stiles responded. The IRS had decided to take their share and give the remaining money to the company that Zeus had stole from.

"I'll be on my way." Robert smiled and departed. He had a flight to catch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since the body count is rising, the FBI will be called in at this point. I recently found out that Scott's father is a FBI agent, so I'm adding him to the cast. I've already put Derek and Stiles through enough, so it's the others' turn to suffer some conflict.


	32. Jan 20th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jackson's arrest and release has unforeseen consequences and Scott gets the shock of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 32. I updated the tags, and you'll see why in this chapter.

Three days had passed ever since Elizabeth had been found dead and Jackson had been cleared. But since the real killer had yet to be caught, there was some considerable fallout. As Jackson and Danny would soon discover to their unpleasant surprise. Jackson and Danny were walking through downtown Beacon Hills, they were on their way to get some lunch at their favorite deli. Some of the citizens of Beacon Hills had been hanging out in downtown when they spotted the two teenage boys. They were not happy on the least.

"You murderer! There is a special place in hell for you!" one of the adults shouted angrily.

"Hey, asshole, quit it!" Danny shouted jumping to his best friend's defense. Jackson looked like he wanted to cry. People were shouting and running after them. They were forming a mob, and looked angry and hostile. Jackson feared for his life and Danny wanted to rip someone apart. In the meantime, Laura overheard the commotion from a block away. Curious, she went to see what the uproar was about and saw Jackson and Danny.

"Are you alright?" Laura asks when she sees the mob. After running over, she throws her sweatshirt over Jackson's head and rushes them from the downtown area.

"We should be, now that we're away from them." Danny stated. Jackson was looking shaken.

"I'll talk to Derek about this later, but now, I'll take you two home." Laura spoke as she led the duo to the Camaro.

* * *

While Laura was taking the boys home, the trio of Derek, Stiles and Cora was doing some investigating of their own. The trio was looking through the forest preserve for clues. Finding Elizabeth's body had kicked them in high gear.

"And why are you three here in the forest?" an agent asked. The place had been swamped with FBI for some time. Some agents were doing their own investigation. However, when Stiles got a good look at the person. His hackles arose. The man had dark hair and brown eyes. He had a long face with a mole on his right cheek. His nose matched Scott's. Derek looked at Stiles and heard his heart speed up. He knew that he was upset.

"Nature walk," Stiles hissed between his clenched teeth.

"Well this is a closed area, so nature walk somewhere else." the agent retorted. Cora snarled before walking back down the path she had come from. Stiles followed her, thinking of ways to ruin the agent's face. Derek was busy thinking of ways to get back at him for both Stiles and whoever this guy wronged.

* * *

Everyone piled into Stiles' house for the second time that week. They thought that they were going to hear that another body was found. They were wrong.

"We called you here because the FBI is here and looking through the forest." Derek announced.

"Yeah, and here's the thing. Scott's dad is one of them and he's in town." Stiles added. Scott froze. Everything about his childhood was perfect except for his dad. His dad was not a good man.

"Oh God, no." Lydia whispered as she put her hand over her mouth. The whole town knew what happened to the McCall marriage. It was their favorite topic to gossip about.

"Can we just please not talk about that, please?" Scott mumbled. Knowing how painful it is for him, Stiles switches subjects.

"Okay, I think we can get some answers out of those Post-Its, that Elizabeth was fixated on." he spoke.

"Okay, this one says that the blackout was not an accident. Another has a list of names. We should do a background check on these." Erica was reading the Post-It notes.

"What names? Are any of those familiar?" Allison wanted to know.

"According to this one, most of the guests changed their names. When she ran them through the system, they didn't come up in a search." Erica read.

"And we are back at square one," Stiles groans as he hands the note to Erica and plops down on a couch. Cora picked up a note.

"Well, well. This note says both Ares and Zeus were on the list." Cora commented.

"So she predicted both of them dying before it ever happened?" Scott asked.

"No, it's a checklist so no predictions," Cora said. Danny took the note from her hand to take a look for himself. His eyes went wide when he saw the names.

"These names were persons of interest in Alyssa's case and other similar cases." Danny said.

"Other similar cases?" Scott asked in confusion.

"Alyssa wasn't the first victim." Danny explained.

"Anyway, so we're basically looking for all those people on the list?" Derek asked.

"Or that list could be a list of murder victims?" Isaac suggested.

"Since we now know that Alyssa wasn't the first victim, can you dig deeper and see if any of those people from back then are still alive and get their addresses? And can we find out when Ares and Zeus changed their names? Plus find out who the other names belongs to?" Derek asked.

"I'll check it out." Danny said. The pack each took a note to look at and examine. The quicker they get done, the faster Scott's dad can leave.

* * *

 Isaac and Danny were hand in hand as they walked in the Jungle. The Jungle was a gay club/bar. They were on their 'first date' together. The Jungle was full of smoke and people. Half-naked men were dancing in cages and other people. Bartenders were making drinks and flirting with customers.

"Hi, cutey, want a drink?" another man smiled at Isaac.

"Um, no thanks, I'm here with my boyfriend." Isaac spoke apologetically. The guy threw up his hands.

"Sorry. Didn't know that baby boy is taken." he responded. Danny rolls his eyes at the guy before leading Isaac to the dance floor. The pair was pressed against each other, dancing. As they slowly got in the rhythm, they spotted who they were looking for. Dionysus was sitting on a bar stool enjoying his drink. The man was wearing a bright red tank top and cargo shorts. He looked relaxed, totally different from the other times the pack spotted him.  The pair tried to navigate through the crowd. As they tried to get to him, Dionysus spotted them. Immediately he put his drink down and dropped a stack of dollars on the counter top, before he fled. The boys followed his path, and ended up outside. Dionysus was nowhere to be found.

"He got away!" Isaac groaned. They shook their heads and went back inside. They'd have to try another time.

* * *

 Peter and Chris were walking through the movie theater. They had brought their tickets and now wanted some snacks.

"This is a great way of blowing off some steam," Chris smiled.

"I know. We used to do this all the time as teenagers." Peter replied. The smile on Chris's face made Peter's heart speed up. They had shared a lot as teens. They were even considering marriage long before Kate tried to kill his family. And Gerard had forced Chris into that arranged marriage with Allison's mother. Peter had missed those times. The depth of Peter's feelings for Chris was more than what he had originally thought. It was not just a physical or emotional love, it was also a connection, deeper and invisible. This was basically the textbook definition of a mate. All this time, he had thought Stiles, Talia and the girls were full of hot air.

"Hurry, Peter! Stop daydreaming and get into the theater before all of the good seats are taken." Chris chuckled. Peter snapped out of it and followed behind. If only the hunter knew.


	33. Valentine's Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack celebrates Valentine's Day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally finished Quest, and now am 3/4 through this fic. But it will take some time before I reach the end.  
> This chapter is more of a filler, so if it is too short, that is why.

The pack and the Stilinskis were exchanging Valentine's day cards. The living room was packed with people. Laughter rang out as everyone opened their cards and retrieved their candy. There were some flowers and stuffed animals among the gifts. In a corner, Cora and Stiles had their hands full. The two teens were busy trying to convince the extremely reluctant Peter to tell Chris, that the latter is the former's mate. 

"We told you so! Just buck up and tell the guy!" Cora was saying.

"I can't. I don't even think that he cares for me like that anymore." Peter responded.

"Are you blind? Allison wouldn't be helping us if she knew that all of your love was unrequited." Derek had joined the trio. Peter blushed. He was smart, but he also was an idiot. Especially when it came to matters of his own heart.

"Just tell him. Got it." he mumbles.

* * *

The teens met at the food court at the mall. They all brought tons of chocolate and candy with them to share. Stiles was carrying a medium sized gift basket filled with candy pieces. The gift basket was from Derek.

"So, apparently Danny boy here has a secret admirer." Erica smiles. Danny blushed furiously as Lydia reached over and grabbed his forearm.

"Tell us everything!" she exclaimed.

"I found this basket on my doorstep. It looked something like Stiles', but a bit bigger. There was a box of candy, a flower bouquet, a card and a teddy bear." the Hawaiian boy began.

"Sounds almost exactly the same as what I got, only I got a wolf plushie. The flowers is in a vase at home, the card and wolf plushie has their own places of honor on my desk." Stiles smiled happily. He loved his valentine's day presents very much.

"What kind of flowers did you get?" Erica asked both boys.

"I got white heather, purple tulips and red roses. They have really specific meanings. You remember that white heather means protection, right? Well the purple tulips mean forever love and red roses mean true love." Stiles explained.

"I got red carnations and forget-me-not. Forget-me-not also mean true love. Red carnations means 'Alas my poor heart!'. It's so sweet." Danny smiled.

"Do you know who it is?" Scott asked. Danny shook his head in reply.

"I have no idea. The words was in print, impossible to recognize. It could be anyone." he replied.

"We'll figure it out," Isaac smiled. Danny returned the smile and almost all the pack felt Jackson and Scott seething.

* * *

Boyd snuck Erica into the skating rink. It was before it opened in the afternoon and it sounded fun. Boyd had a picnic basket in his hand. He made grilled sandwiches and cookies. There was potato chips and root beer in the basket because Boyd couldn't find Erica's favorite tea.

"This is amazing!" Erica breathed in awe as she looked around. Boyd led her over to the Concession area, where the tables were. Once there, he set the picnic basket on top of a table and started to unpack the food.

"We can sit right here so the janitors won't see us. The raspberry tea was sold out and I couldn't find it anywhere else." Boyd explained.

"It's so sweet that you tried to find it. Mom always says that I'm irrational when I look for tea. I just prefer certain kinds." Erica replied.

"Thanks." Boyd smiled before kissing Erica. Then both teens took their seats and started to eat their lunch. After a few minutes passed, Erica had an important question for her boyfriend, well mate.

"Boyd, you know the about concept of mates, right?" Erica began in a nervous voice.

"Yeah, why?" Boyd replied.

"My wolf chose you as my mate, and I was terrified that the commitment would ruin us." Erica explained to her stunned boyfriend.

"I'm not going to lie, this is a major step. But I still want to be with you. I want to continue this relationship." Boyd stated.

"I'm so happy to hear that. I've been stressing over it for so long." Erica sighed into relief.

"Now let's eat and get on the ice. Max, the janitor will be here in 2 hours." Boyd smiled. This was good so far.

* * *

Scott was being clingy. The smile Isaac and Danny shared earlier had him jealous. He knew that it was irrational but he wanted Isaac all to himself.

"What's up with you, man? You seem...clingy." Isaac asked. He was confused since Scott was not acting like his usual self!

"Oh nothing! Just lonely, that's all!" Scott spoke in a rush.

"I know what you mean. I've never had a Valentine." Isaac replied. Deep inside Scott's head, the wolf paced.

 _Mine!_ the wolf growled. It felt possessive and wanted to be the only one for Isaac.

"Let's go and make cookies for today, then. Mom has Steel Magnolias and we need comfort food." Scott smiled. Isaac nodded and the two teens headed to the kitchen to begin baking.

* * *

The wolf preserve was Derek's favorite place. It was only reasonable that the beta werewolf took Stiles there. They bought some food and made some toys for the gray wolves to play with. Stiles held out a toy and the grey furred wolves played with him. They seemed to like the human. Derek fed them, the wolves licking his fingers after eating the meat.

"I love these wolves. They are so affectionate." Stiles smiled.

"I know. Laura and I used to work here." Derek stated smiling.

"I'm having an amazing time! Thanks for this lovely date!" Stiles exclaimed, as he hugged his boyfriend. Derek returned the hug.

"I'm glad you like it." Derek smiles, as he kisses Stiles' lips.

"We should be getting back. I always watch Steel Magnolias with Scott." Stiles smiled. That movie had a hold on him.

"That movie always makes me sob. Let's go watch." Derek responded. The couple left the wolf preserve hand-in-hand to head back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the meanings for the flowers mentioned.  
> White heather: Protection  
> Purple tulips: forever love  
> Red roses: true love  
> Forget-Me-Not: true love  
> red carnation: Alas my poor heart!/My heart aches for you.


	34. Feb 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The full weight of the investigation is getting to the pack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back with chapter 34. Since I'm 3/4 done with this fic. Updates will slow down slightly.  
> On another note, how many of you readers liked S3? I freely admit to being massively disappointed. Derek has been through enough grief and he seriously needs a break! Boyd and Erica died, yet the twins were allowed to live? Scott being a werewolf jesus? No, just no. Sorry Scott fans, but he haven't proved to me that he deserves the power.  
> Sometimes in the future, I plan to write S3-or my idea of how S3 should have went. I'm keeping the Darach mystery and the TW characters. That is all. Everything else is up in the air. I'm even changing the pairings. If anyone wants to read it or has any ideas, please leave a comment or two.

Peter and Laura pulled up to Scott's house. The teenager was waiting for them on his front porch. After the trio were seated in patio chairs, Peter began the conservation.

"So what's the emergency? Why have you summoned me from my Batcave?" Peter asked as he raised his eyebrow.

"You've been spending too much time with Stiles. If you're picking up on his ways of speaking and other such eccentricities. And I know that I summoned you from Chris's house." Scott replied.

"Definitely too much time with Stiles. He spazzes out sometimes. And no, I don't mean the occasional spazzing out, but more like once a day spazz." Laura added.

"Anyway, I just need your advice on something serious." Scott spoke as he got right back on topic.

"Elaborate." Laura replied.

"I think Isaac is my mate, but I don't know how to go about it." Scott stated.

"Just talk with him about it. Isaac is a reasonable kid and he'll listen. Don't just automatically assume that he will accept or deny your advances. You have to ask to know." Laura responded.

"Okay, I'll give it a shot." Scott sighed. The teen rested his head in his hands. He didn't know how this talk would go, much less end.

* * *

Noah and Peter pulled up at the Argent house in the squad car. They let themselves in Chris' house, finding him on the couch in the living room with a map sprawled out on the coffee table.

"This whole thing is a one big mess. If you mark off all the locations of the attacks and the murders, you'll still get nowhere." Noah stated.

"Sooner or later, the Alpha will slip up because of all the eyes searching for him," Chris reassured the others.

"Did anyone of you get the blood test results back yet?" Noah asked.

"The blood type is O negative so it narrows the list down to a few people." Peter replied.

"I need to catch this guy. There has been murder attempts on Stiles' life. Stiles is all I have left of Claudia and I can't risk losing him. Because her things and memories aren't enough." Noah groans.

"We'll work harder then. I have a few favors I can cash in to help. So who wants Scotch?" Chris smirks as he headed to the kitchen. Noah smiles and lays back on the couch to relax.

* * *

Danny was walking up the sidewalk to Jade's house. Derek had remembered that Elizabeth wanted photos of the party from Jade. They were going to ask her if they could borrow them for the investigation.

All of sudden, Danny stopped in his tracks when he noticed that the house was on fire! He pulled out his phone, dialing the emergency number as quick as his fingers allowed. After he ended the call, Danny tried to get as close to the house as much was possible.

The area around the door was engulfed in smoke, so going in would surely kill him. He just wanted to know if Jade was still in the house or if she had escaped. Danny peeked in the window before jumping back again in horror.

Jade was still in the house, laid out on the floor unconscious with a burning hunk of wood on top of her. The fire was eating away at her flesh and clothing. The bruises and bleeding cut on her forehead proved that her being unconscious wasn't originally from smoke inhalation, as he had thought. The killer had gotten her too.

Danny was in so much shock that it took him by surprise when he looked down at his arm to see that he got burned. The pain only kicked in when he saw it. The loud boom of the fire sirens took him by surprise.

The EMTs were right behind them, looking for anyone that is injured. When they saw Danny holding his arm, they dragged him to the ambulance. Danny was being taped up when he fainted. He came to slowly, still in back of the EMT vehicle. Paramedics were doting on him, making sure that he wasn't in shock. He was in shock, all right, but not in the medical sense.

* * *

The pack was sitting in the waiting room. Jackson had panicked when Danny didn't call Derek about the pictures and dragged them there. Some thought he was being irrational but he was only being cautious. In the meantime, outside Danny's room, Melissa met up with Noah. The sheriff was there to question Danny.

"Oh, thank goodness its you, Noah. You really can't question Danny at this moment. The boy is severely traumatized. He'll only say a few words to the nursing staff before shutting down." the nurse informed the sheriff. 

"Mrs. McCall! Is Danny alright? Can I see him?" Jackson yelled, dashing down the hallway.

"He's in shock right now. He has 1st degree burns and needs to rest. I'll have someone watch over him but for now, he can't handle any visitors." Melissa replied sadly. Jackson looked like he wanted to crumble to the floor. Noah threw his arm around Jackson and led him back to the waiting room. The loud wail startled Melissa, but she knew who it was. It was hard to miss.

* * *

Both of the Stilinskis and the Hales were sitting down to dinner. There was a lot of tension. Hearing Jackson cry out had brought the reality of the current situation crashing down. People were dying and they could possibly be next. They were picking at their veggie lasagna and herb bread.

"So, should we talk about how we're going to go on after all of this?" Laura says, breaking the heavy silence.

"We need to get Danny something. Jackson and Isaac wants to see him badly. You should have heard him cry out when Mrs. McCall said that he couldn't see him." Stiles announced.

"What is going on with the love square that we call Jackson, Scott, Isaac and Danny?" Cora wanted to know. Peter snickered and Laura covered her mouth with a napkin. A muffled snort escaped her mouth and Peter was red in the face.

"Love square indeed! Lydia's plan worked too well." Derek commented.

"It's only acting guys, Lydia suggested that in order to get Jackson and Scott to notice. Isaac and Danny need to lie about being in a relationship." Stiles explained.

"This will be fun, when those two decides that enough's enough. And they need to act." Derek chuckled. The table broke out in laughter, killing the serious mood for awhile. They would deal with it later but they just need the laughter.


	35. You've Got Mail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles receives a crucial piece of mail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to Tori being unable to use her computer, we swapped chapter 7 and ch 36 around. Meaning chapter 36 will be updated first instead. Chapter 7 of LoOP will be either updated tmw or Fri, depending on when we finish.

Some of the pack met up at the mall. They wanted to get something for Danny. Ever since Jade's house burned down, he had been stoic. They wanted to try their best to make him feel better.

"I think we should get Danny chocolates and flowers." Isaac suggested.

"Ooh, Isaac, are you Danny-boy's secret admirer?" Erica asked with a mischievous smile. Isaac was taken aback. He chuckled nervously and blushed. A few minutes later, the pack had a bouquet of flowers, a get-well card and Dove chocolates for Danny. They were hungry, so they decided that they should eat something. Thinking that the food court was the fastest way, they dropped by there.

"Hey, guys!" a familiar voice yelled. All of the pack members shivered, knowing that Matt was right behind them. Allison flinched and hid behind Boyd. She didn't want Matt to know she was there. His obsession was getting creepier by the minute.

"Now, I'm not hungry." Isaac admits. Everyone agrees and decides to leave. There goes another one of their problems. When everyone was outside in the parking lot, Erica made up her mind right on the spot.

"That does it! We're telling the sheriff the next time we see him." the blonde beta announced.

"Yeah, Stiles will just have to deal, because big bro is about to explode." Cora agreed.

* * *

Stiles and Derek walked hand-in-hand in the forest. They needed some alone time together.

"You know how Erica and Boyd are meant to be? Well, we're the same way." Derek began.

"What? What did you just say?" Stiles said as he pulled his hand from Derek's, thinking the latter was joking.

"You're my mate," Derek stated, meaning every word. Stiles chuckled until he looked at Derek. He was dead serious and Stiles was ecstatic.

"Remember when Cora asked who the father of my kids was? I meant you." Stiles confessed. Derek kissed Stiles breathless. It was good to know that they both were in this for the long run.

* * *

Most of the teens, Derek and Laura were piled in the Stilinski living room. Danny was being signed out of the hospital so he couldn't make it.

"So, we need to talk about what happened to Danny." Laura announced as she began the meeting.

"Danny is terrified. He was burned by a fire that killed Jade and burned her body. He saw someone burn alive!" Jackson exploded. Derek's eyes was vacant. The thought of how that could've happened to his family raced through his mind. Cora shivered. It left a bad taste in her mouth. Laura winced at the reminder.

"The Sheriff also needs to be told about Matt." Erica added.

"Hey, I don't think it's a big deal," Stiles countered. He then cowered under all the side glares he received. Before he could say anything more, Stiles was interrupted by the doorbell. Getting up, he rushed to the door and opened it, revealing the UPS deliveryman. Greeting him and signing for the package, he slammed the door behind him and high tailed it back to the living room.

Stiles got the box cutter from under the table and opened the package. In the box were books, notepads and loose leaf paper. There was also an envelope addressed to Stiles. Stiles opened the envelope and took a folded piece of paper, which turned out to be a latter out. He started to read aloud.

_Dear Stiles, I knew something all along but I was afraid. I had overheard Rose having an argument with her murderer. The voice was so familiar that it chilled me to the bone and locked my mouth shut. I did some research because Rose had sent me a copy of the manuscript fully edited. It's in the box with everything I've found. I hope it helps. Sincerely, Elizabeth_

Isaac and Jackson immediately grabbed the manuscript and started looking through it. While Lydia was busy working on matching certain events to the pictures from Rose's files.

"The house in the picture; it's where Alyssa lived. The crumbling road; is where Alyssa was found." Lydia stated.

"Alyssa was a victim of battery and sexual assault on Nov 7, 1988. She was the latest victim of a serial rapist that stalked Treybrook and surrounding towns. However, instead of there being a single rapist, there were two. The police knew this for certain because the victims mainly underage girls were raped twice in addition to being beaten." Jackson began.

"Ares and Zeus were persons of interest. Only their actual names were Ronald Pendergast and Draco Barrett. The police were certain that those two were guilty. The problem was proving it. Alyssa was their only witness." Isaac finished.

"That explains the castration!" Lydia announced. The others were disgusted.

"That explains a lot. If this got out their careers would be ruined, and no sane women would trust them ever again. Much less allow their underage female relatives go anywhere near them." Laura mused. The alpha heiress knew that if her mom ever found this fact out when both men were alive, they would have suffered much worse. Never mess with a protective alpha mother. Kate learned that fact the hard way!

"Their names were on the list." Erica nodded her agreement.

"There are more notes here," Boyd announces. He held up some of the papers.

"Her family was convinced that her death was never a suicide." Derek stated. He was holding a notepad.

"I wonder how Ares and Zeus got so close to Alyssa after raping her." Allison pondered. Stiles nodded his agreement. The teen had seen several rape victims when they came in the station or in the hospital. They usually either cowered or screamed bloody murder when any male came within 50 ft of them. As a result, either Tara or the other female deputies would end up taking their statements.

"They must have an accomplice. Two to be exact. It would amount for the last two names on the list." Cora mused.

"That's why they didn't just assume that it was Ares and Zeus," Erica declared.

"We have a break in the case! This is amazing!" Stiles shouted.

* * *

Noah and his deputies met with the FBI and their profiler in the meeting room.

"Based on the fire department's investigation and Danny's statement, we can list Jade's death as a murder." Noah was saying. The evidence bags were on the table. Some agents were looking though the reports that had been complied.

"This person seems to be desperate. The constant change in M.O. indicates that. His mindset seems to be 'the quicker they get rid of leads, the easier it is to get away." the profiler named Mika Tsukino mused. Dr. Tsukino, or Mika as she had requested to be named, was a dark-haired woman in her early 40s.

"How desperate is he?" Tara asked.

"This list is getting big, Stilinski. When are you actually going to get something done?" agent McCall complained. As if on cue, the door swung open. Stiles was leading the quartet in, a box in hand.

"I need to file a report with the Sheriff." Allison began.

"Alyssa's death was murder. Her killers are the next two names on the last." Derek added.

"How do you know?" Mika responded.

"Elizabeth, before her death sent Stiles a box full of her research. There is even a copy of Rose's edited manuscript." Derek explained, holding up the mentioned item.

"Can I read them? I need all I can get." Mika asked.

"Fine. We have other evidence and clues in there so have at it." Derek responded, handing the manuscript to Mika. Stiles walked over to the table and set the box on top. The FBI nearly pounced on the box, as agents and deputies alike started taking the assorted clues out. The deputies wanted to see if there was anything they had missed on the course of their investigation.

In the meantime, Allison was talking with Noah.

"I would like to file a restraining order against Matthew Daehler." Allison was saying.

"What happened?" Noah questioned.

"He's been stalking Allison and Stiles. Every time we go out without Derek, he's waiting." Cora explained.

"What?!" Sheriff Stilinski yelled. Tara and Ryan exchanged uneasy glances, as they stiffened.

"It's no big deal," Stiles replied, as he attempted to calm his dad down.

"It is. Stalking is criminal and it can lead to some terrible things." Derek stated.

"I'll have the paperwork in a few minutes," Ryan replied as he left the room. This was serious despite how much Stiles wanted to downplay it.

* * *

 Jackson grabbed the key from under the mat and opened the door. He was at the Mahealani house, wanting to check in on his best friend. He was worried and wanted to help him work through the trauma.  He had brought the chocolates, flowers and the card that the group had brought the Hawaiian. After entering the house, and locking the door behind him, the teen climbed the stairs and ended up in Danny's room. Danny smiled softly when he saw Jackson. He had missed his friend. Since the fire, he had just shut down on the world.

"The group sent you some things. I hope you like dark chocolate. Stiles is a health freak." Jackson said to his friend.

"I do." Danny responded.

"Those are yellow roses, eglantine rose, white heather, snowdrops and daisies. Stiles said that the outlying message is basically to cheer you up." Jackson said as he handed the gifts to Danny.

"Those are beautiful." Danny smiled as he received the bouquet. Message well received.

"Are you feeling any better?" Jackson asked.

"My arm is healing. Emotionally, well, I can't really seem to grasp it all. Nightmares keep me up at night." Danny responded.

"Remember that I'm always here for you." Jackson responded. Danny smiled and hugged his best friend. He could always trust him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> White heather: protection  
> Eglantine Rose: a wound to heal  
> Yellow Roses: friendship  
> Snowdrop: consolation  
> Daisy: Innocence/cheer


	36. Restraint

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles and Allison tell their parents about Matt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back with chapter 36 for MiBH.  
> I know, what happened with Mr. Lahey and Matt wasn't part of canon. But I freely admit to wishing that they had been properly punished as in having to face jail time. And I really want to see how Matt fare against Chris Argent. I dare any miscreant to try making a move only to clash with the potential victim's furious dad. I would pay good money to see Chris dishing payback on anyone who tries anything with Allison. While I know Allison can take care of herself in canon, life always surprises us.  
> I know I had Stiles try to downplay the problem with Matt, but he is a fan of ignoring his problems in the hope that they will go away. The previous chapter and this chapter will show him why it is a really bad idea.  
> I claim creative license on some of the details mentioned in this chapter.

"You two, in my office, now!" Noah ordered as he dragged his son and his boyfriend into his office. They needed to have a serious talk badly. When the trio was in the sheriff's office, with the door locked, Noah began the interrogation.

"How long has he been stalking you?" the worried father demanded. He knew that he had a serious problem.

"Does it really matter?" Stiles deflected. The teen so didn't want to have this conservation with his dad! He preferred to ignore his problems until they went away on their own. But this problem couldn't be swept under the carpet anymore despite his misgivings.

"Should we ask Erica, this question instead?" Derek asked, raising his eyebrows. He wasn't letting Stiles off the hook, not this time!

"Fine! Since freshman year, but he wasn't overly creepy or obvious about it until recently!" Stiles pouted as he flopped down in a nearby chair.

"It's been over 2 years and you didn't say anything?! Anything could've happened in that time period!" Derek exploded.

"From now on, Derek will be watching your every move to make sure you're safe. This will only continue until I get the okay to file a restraining order on Matt and have David Whittemore check it out." Noah announced putting his feet down.

"Sure," Derek replied while Stiles was stunned in silence. Then Derek and Stiles were sent home, while Noah picked up the phone to dial Chris's number. Stiles finally grasped the severity of the situation. If he hadn't mentioned this sooner, who knows what could've happened.

* * *

"Allison!" The teen flinched as she heard her father's cry. It sounded worried and frustrated. The Sheriff must've already called him. Allison rushed down the stairs. She stopped at the end of the staircase, looking at Peter. The man was sitting right beside her father on the living room sofa.

"Allison, are you okay? Did he get near you?" Peter asked as he rushed to the girl and started checking her over.

"I hid behind Boyd when he came to the mall, so I'm okay." Allison assured him. After Peter finished making certain that the girl was fine, he led her to sit down between her parents.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Chris asked when the teen was seated.

"I didn't think much of it until Erica said something. I always thought he was harmless." Allison replied.

"Well, at least you're okay. I wouldn't know what to do if something had happened." Chris said, hugging Allison.

"It was only a few months ago that he got obsessive. He even showed up while Scott and I were out on a date." Allison explained.

"Oh I am going to kill that boy," Peter growled in between his teeth.

"Stiles is in denial. The only reason he went to the station was because we outvoted him. The fire has everyone on edge, the mall incident proved to be the final straw." Allison added.

"Stiles tends to ignore his problems." Chris commented.

"I can see it now. My nephew is at the Stilinski house, planning Matthew's demise." Peter remarked. Allison smiled at Peter. His concern made her happy. Obviously, he made her dad feel happy. If only they would just make it official and get married, then they could be a family.

* * *

 Peter, Chris, Derek, and Stiles met at Rob's house. The man wanted to know Stiles' ideas about who the Alpha could be.

"The alpha is someone on our suspect list." Stiles announces after going through all the clues.

"Then we'll have to go back to the beginning." Chris groans.

"We know that the suspect is male so all female names can be crossed off." Derek stated.

"Well that cuts it down to size." Rob let out a breath in pure relief.

"Ares and Zeus are dead and buried so it isn't them." Derek added.

"So we have a list. Let's check it all out," Chris responded. They all wrote down their last suspects. This case was slowly coming to an end.

* * *

Scott and Erica was in the clinic with Deaton and Laura. The vet was giving a lesson on wolfsbane.

"Wolfsbane is a plant that werewolves are highly allergic to. They can be found in bullets and arrows. If you are hit, you need to find the strain and burn it to get rid of the effects. It comes in different colors. Some are poisons, others are aphrodisiacs. There is even another kind that can be used to get you drunk," Deaton was saying, while five pots of said plants were on display. The colors were blue, yellow, white, pink and purple.

"Which ones are the poisons, aphrodisiacs and alcohol?" Erica asked curiously.

"In that order, the poisons are blue, yellow and white. The white kind can make you sick and weaken you, through." Deaton began.

"The pink and the purple ones are aphrodisiacs and alcohol respectively." Laura finished.

"One last thing, mistletoe is also toxic for werewolves. So be careful when handling them." Deaton spoke.

"How toxic exactly? Can we touch them?" Erica wanted to know.

"Very poisonous when ingested." Deaton answered. While Erica was learning about wolfsbane's effects, Scott had gotten bored. The beta went sniffing around, and found a cabinet, filled with bottles of liquid. Sniffing around further, he pinpointed the alcoholic wolfsbane. Taking the bottle out, he drank straight from the bottle, completely unaware of the side-effects. Scott's wolf side was now unleashed. The wolf wanted its mate. Scott had stifled it and the wolf thought it was time to claim what was his. It was all it cared about.

 _Claim! Mate! Now! Mine!_ the wolf snarled. Scott immediately high tailed it out of the clinic. He growled and sped past Laura rapidly, leaving a breeze in his wake.

"Laura, where did Scott go?" Erica asked in confusion, feeling the breeze and seeing the blur of wolf!Scott. In the meantime, Alan had found the opened cabinet, and spotted the pilfered alcohol. He was not amused in the least.

"I don't know, but I'm almost certain that this nearly empty bottle of alcohol has something to do with it. We need to get him and quickly. His inhibitions are down and his wolf lively." Deaton responded.  An uninhibited werewolf running amok was the last thing anyone needed especially with the rogue alpha still at large.

"He might go after Isaac." Erica warned.

"That's his mate! We need to get going!" Laura exclaimed running out of the building, tapping at the phone. She needed to warn Peter and fast.

In the meantime, Isaac was reading a book in the McCall living room as Scott lurked outside. He was calm as Scott was uptight. Scott unlocked the door and headed for the living room.

"Hey, Scott," Isaac smiled when he looked up and spotted his friend.  Scott stalked to Isaac and pulled him close. Nuzzling his cheek, Scott kissed his temple.

"What are you doing?" Isaac was confused. His friend and secret crush was acting out of character! He then lost his train of thought as Scott continued his advances, creating hickeys. A few minutes later Scott had his hand under Isaac's shirt when the door banged against the wall. In rushed Peter, grabbing Scott by the scruff of the neck. Laura was right behind him.

"I'm so sorry! I'll explain later." Laura apologized to the confused Isaac, as Scott fought Peter's hold. Peter took a syringe and stuck it in the vein. Scott slowly stopped struggling, finally passing out. Isaac stared as Laura and Peter dragged Scott out. He was so confused.

* * *

Stiles was thrown in a really big bean bag seat in Lydia's room. The girls were chattering away and holding him hostage. Derek had been recruited to keep Laura company while the alpha heiress was on Scott watch.

"So Laura just called Peter, telling him that Scott got in the wolfsbane alcohol. Deaton was livid by the way. Anyway, they had to chase him down. They knocked him out and he's spending the night chained up in Stiles' basement." Erica was saying.

"Does no one ever consult me on these things?!" Stiles exclaimed.

"Scott wasn't in control. His wolf was in the driver's seat." Erica stated. Stiles huffed, knowing that the girl had a point. Cora turned to Allison with a question.

"How did your dad react when he found out about Matt?" Cora asked.

"His face went white. If Peter wasn't there, he'd have probably fainted." Allison responded.

"What about the Sheriff?" Lydia questioned. Everyone turned to the boy knowing how protective said sheriff was when it came to his only child's well-being.

"Derek is my bodyguard until Jackson's dad can get a restraining order with the court." Stiles replied. The girls nodded in understanding.

"So, how are you love lives going?" Lydia asked as she changed subject topics. Stiles went red at the ears.

"Boyd and I are mates but we are taking it slow." Erica smiled.

"So are Derek and Stiles!" Cora announced to the group.

"Oh, that's great!" Allison smiled. The girls gushed as Stiles banged his head on a desk. This was torture.


	37. Treybrook

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek and Stiles look deeper into Alyssa's death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to be late, but there were unexpected delays with finishing the chapter, and then it was too late to print the draft out. I dare anyone to try typing chapters while using two different sites at the same time. While it is probable. Overall, it isn't really a good idea.

Over a month had passed since Stiles had found out about himself being Derek's mate. Much had happened since then. Isaac and Scott were now an official couple. The Hales were slowly walking around Hale Manor. The renovation had been finished and they were having a party. Cora was filling her parents in on the events of the last 5 weeks.

"How did Isaac and Scott start dating?" Will wanted to know. Cora looked at her older siblings in question.

"Well, the story goes like this..." Laura began.

_The light was too bright. Well, at least that is what Scott thought. He woke up, groaning and trying to hold his head. Trying to? Sitting up, he realized his wrists and feet were restrained by chains? He looked around and saw that he was in the Stilinski basement. Isaac was sitting on a bean bag nearby looking confused. Derek and Laura were there too as well._

_"Why was Scott acting weird?" Isaac asked.  
_

_"He did the same thing I did, got in Deaton's alcohol,"  Derek began.  
_

_"He is hungover. There is a type of wolfsbane that can be put in alcohol so wolves can get drunk." Laura explained.  
_

_"What did I do?!" Scott panicked.  
_

_"Laura can explain it." Derek was unrepentant. Laura threw a glare over her shoulder at her brother.  
_

_"Peter had to knock you out because your wolf took control." she responded.  
_

_"Oh God! Isaac, I'm so sorry!" Scott started apologizing frantically.  
_

_"Wait, why would his wolf come after me? He gave me those hickeys." Isaac asked sounding confused. He pulled down his collar to reveal marks that were blue and brown around the edges. Everyone froze. They stared at Isaac, who shrank back.  
_

_"Scott's wolf is honest about his heart's desire." Derek responded evilly. The air needed to be cleared, since they were beyond clueless about how the other felt! The beta born wolf's mischievous streak had finally surfaced after being buried under layers of mistrust and trauma for the last 7 years.  
_

_"Dammit Derek!" Laura yelled glaring at her younger brother. While she was happy that her baby brother was back to his original self. Was it really necessary to embarrass the younger duo?  
_

_"I like you more than a friend." Scott spoke in a rush before Derek could embarrass him even more.  
_

_"I feel the same." Isaac replied shyly.  
_

_"Try dating and see how it works out." Laura suggested. Scott and Isaac smiled at each other. They'd definitely give it a try.  
_

"And this is basically what happened." Laura finished.

"Well he is definitely Peter's nephew." Will commented.

"Yes,"  Talia agreed while glaring at her younger brother for corrupting her son.

* * *

Erica and Scott met up with Talia in the guidance counselor Marin Morrell's office. Morrell herself was in attendance.

"Why were Scott and I called in?" Erica asked.

"My friend, Marin, is here to help break the Alpha's influence." Talia explained.

"Oh thank God!" Scott breathed. He really didn't want to hurt anyone, and he dreaded that day when the alpha succeeded in making him kill his loved ones. Marin injected them with a sedative and they both dropped to the ground. A few minutes later, they opened their eyes. After they were fully aware of their current surroundings, they tried to find the Alpha using the connection. When they got nothing, they breathed a sigh of pure relief.

"Thank you, Marin. I think that's all." Talia smiled.

"You're very welcome. Come back anytime when you need me." Marin replied smiling.

* * *

Noah and his team were outside the town at a crime scene. He had called Talia in for help.

"This is the latest victim. He's getting vicious." Noah was saying as he showed the alpha the body. The corpse was mangled. His throat slit and blood drained. His skin was lifeless and without blush.

"The Alpha killed him in a rage. We broke his influence over the betas and now he's officially lost all sanity." Talia stated.

"Could he have left any clues to whom he is?" Noah asked.

"I can't tell at the moment but he could've slipped up." Talia responded. The forensics team got to work. The body was removed and all evidence under it collected.

* * *

Derek and Stiles stopped at the entrance to Treybrook. They wanted to do some more investigating.

"Where should we check first: police department or library?" Derek asked his mate.

"Library. They have a database archive for newspapers going back decades." Stiles replied. Derek nodded before continuing in the town. A few minutes later, he parked the car then got out and followed Stiles into the library.

"Excuse me? Where can I find old records from over 25 years ago?" Stiles asked the librarian. The librarian was a brunette woman in her early 30s.

"They are in reference in the next room. It's funny. Two other people asked the same thing." the librarian mused.

"Can you describe him?" Derek asked, as Stiles continued walking to the next room over.

"They were both female. Early to mid twenties. The first was curious and eager. The other, however, looked like she'd have a heart attack if a small gust of wind blew on her. Poor thing was shaking in her boots." the woman responded.

"Thank you so much, ma'am." Derek replied, before he continued walking and joined Stiles in his search. About a hour later, the pair were checking the archives, looking for the November 1988 section.

"Here we are!" Stiles announced, finding the right newspaper articles. As he read the names listed, Derek was writing names and dates down on a piece of paper. After Stiles finished reading, he remembered something that he needed to ask.

"Wait, who should we talk with first?" Stiles asked.

"Detectives, let's begin with Detective Laurence Duggart." Derek responded. Then the duo checked the yellow pages until they found who they were looking for. Stiles took out his cell phone and called the retired detective.

"Hello, I am Stiles Stilinski. I'm the son of the Sheriff for Beacon Hills. We have a case that is connected to one of your old cases. I would like to speak with you in person on the matter." he said.

Later that afternoon, Derek pulled into the driveway of the retired detective. The man in question met them at the front door.

"Welcome, Mr. Stilinski. I hope you and your friend like cookie bites and tea." the middle-aged man said smiling.

"If you don't mind, Mr. Duggart. I'm Derek Hale and this is Stiles." Derek introduced themselves.

"My old police force used to call me Doug. No need for formalities, Stiles; I trained your father." Doug smiled. Stiles was stunned. He wondered if he knew his mother.

"Did you know my mom?" Stiles finally asked.

"Yes. Claudia was a lovely woman. Made sure this old man wasn't running himself ragged. She also was hyper-vigilant about Noah and the other force members' health." Doug responded. Stiles smiled sadly, that was his mom alright. Derek quickly steered the conservation to the reason why they had come in the first place.

"Well, there are some recent murders. Suspects are dropping like flies and we think that our guy is connected to one of your cold cases." Derek began.

"Explain what you mean." Doug requested frowning.

"Well we found out that two suspects, Ares and Zeus changed their names and we found their real names. In the progress of investigating them, they were murdered and castrated." Stiles explained.

"Turns out that their real names were Ronald Pendergast and Draco Barrett. We think Alyssa's death was a motive for their murders." Derek added.

"Wow. No wonder we couldn't get any hits on those guys. They were basically different people." Doug commented. The retired detective was stunned.

"What can you remember about her death?" Derek asked, as he got back on topic.

"Supposedly it was an overdose. Her family never believed that, and if I'm honest, neither did I." Doug replied.

"Was there an autopsy? What did the medical examiner find?" Stiles asked.

"Sleeping pills. The ME was not convinced it was a suicide, but a homicide was really hard to prove back then." Doug explained. After several minutes of talking, Derek and Stiles thanked Doug for his help before taking their leave. A hour later, they were talking with Alyssa's best friend, a married woman named Emma Connor.

"Mrs. Connor, what do you remember about your friend up to her death?" Derek was asking.

"Oh, what was not to like about Alyssa? I'm not being biased; she was just that good of a person. If you were doing something terrible, she would tell you why it was wrong. No yelling; no criticism. Just pure goodness and an explanation. She was great around town and if you needed something, she'd go out of her way to help." Emma smiled sadly. She still missed her friend. They had been friends since they were still in diapers.

"What was her mood before her death? Was she the same or was there a drastic difference?" Stiles questioned.

"She was pretty skittish. But she was really determined to get justice for herself and the others." Emma responded.

"Did she ever get threats?" Derek asked.

"Yeah. Sometimes three times a week." Emma replied. The duo took turns asking Emma questions, then Derek had one last question to ask.

"May we see the grave?" Derek asked.

"Yeah. Follow me." Emma responded, as she stood, and started leading the way.

After walking down two small streets, the trio came to Alyssa's burial site, in a cemetery. The site had an angel statue over it. It has two fresh bouquets of flowers. The first bouquet considered of rosemary, Baby's breath, pink carnations, white heather and dried white roses. The second bouquet had Bird's-foot Trefoil, yellow chrysanthemums,  white clovers, marigolds and black roses.

"This bouquet basically means sorrow, I think Alyssa's mother probably left this one. The other is just plain disturbing." Stiles announced, looking troubled.

"There are a very few people that comes by here. There are hardly ever any fresh flowers." Emma mused.

"It could be our guy." Derek commented. The pair thanked Emma for her time and started to walk back to their car. They needed to find out where Alyssa's birth parents were hiding and quick.

* * *

 Boyd, Erica, Isaac and Scott went on a double date to the diner. They wanted a simple date for the new couple. The group ordered an order of burgers, fries, and slices of pie. They also got soda and tea.

"How do you guys feel now that the Alpha has no power over you?" Boyd asked.

"I feel much better. I'm free without all the weight of his control." Scott responded. A few minutes later, the waitress came with their food. They ate and talked and when they were finished, they left the waitress a good tip. They left, feeling a lot better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the meanings of the flowers.
> 
> Rosemary: remembrance  
> Baby's breath: pure of heart  
> Pink carnations: Mother's love  
> White heather: protection  
> Dried white rose: sorrow
> 
> White Clover: I promise  
> Bird's-foot Trefoil: Revenge  
> Black rose: Death  
> Yellow chrysanthemums: Precious one  
> Marigolds: pain and grief


	38. The Dangers We Face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some of the group finally grasps the dangers of the case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to be late with chapter 38, bit finishing it took longer than I expected and I posted ch 10 for LoOP yesterday. I needed a break to recharge.  
> Chapter 2 for RecAA will be updated next week.  
> Finally, sorry if this is short, hopefully the action makes up for it.

The pack gathered back at Stiles' house with their notes. Now that they had more information, they could get further in the case.

"Everyone, we are here to get everything organized so we can investigate new leads. Derek, Stiles, what did you guys learn in Treybrook?" Laura announced as she started the meeting.

"Alyssa's death can officially be classified as murder. The ME couldn't prove it at the time, but all signs say that we can now change her death certificate." Derek began.

"She also was getting death threats. We also saw her grave and there were two different kinds of flower bouquets." Stiles added.

"What kind are they?" Danny asked in interest. He also knew the flower language. In fact, he and Stiles probably were the only ones out of the pack that could identify the many kinds of flowers and their meanings. Which meant they could usually depict the underlying message of a bouquet.

"Rosemary, Baby's Breath, pink carnations, white heater and dried white roses for the first bouquet. Yellow Chrysanthemums, marigolds, white clovers, Bird's Foot-trefoil, and black roses for the second one." Stiles answered.

"According to Stiles, Alyssa's mother left the first bouquet. It was beautiful, but the other bouquet was just plain disturbing. I can see why." Derek added. While he was confused by Stiles' reaction, he could see why, black roses was definitely bad news. Black roses were only used at either a funeral or as a death threat.

"Why was the other one disturbing?' Scott asked in confusion.

"When you remove the chrysanthemums and the marigolds, you're left with a promise of revenge and death." Danny explained.

"We're looking for her birth parents now. We just need the help." Derek replied.

"How long have we been looking for them? Whatever vanishing act they pulled was meant to stick." Isaac stated.

"We're just going to have to work harder. Everyone set your sights on a particular clue about Alyssa and move forward with it." Derek commanded, ending the meeting. Everyone nodded and left, going to work on finding her parents.

* * *

 Jackson was sitting at Danny's computer desk. The pair was searching for the government files at the genius' house. Finding a lead, Jackson jumped up to grab the laptop from Danny's lap. While rushing, he ended up falling forward into Danny.

"Here, let me help." Danny was sitting up to help Jackson keep his balance when his lips brushed against the other's. The pair stared at each other before jumping back. They went back to work, avoiding the other's eyes. 

* * *

 Erica, Boyd, Laura, and Cora were trying to figure out the timeline of the event sequence of Zeus and Ares's final days. It led them to the police station.

"Do you guys have Zeus and Ares's phone records?" Laura asked.

"Yes, why do you need to know?" Tara asked.

"Maybe when the death threats started, they got in contact with their mystery accomplices." Boyd suggested.

"Why didn't we think of that? That could be the lead we need to solve this case." Ryan commented.

"Where did you put them?" Cora asked.

"Follow me," Ryan responded. He led them to the records room, and down the aisle where the evidence was.

"Do you have records on Nimue Gilmore and Miranda Weatherly?" Erica asked.

"We tried them already. But, sadly no dice." Ryan replied.

"Okay. Thank you anyway," Laura smiled. Ryan nodded his head and left them. They needed to find them and fast. The clock was ticking and time was running out.

* * *

 "Who knew your father was so hard to shop for?" Talia groaned. Her, Derek and Stiles were at the mall trying to find a birthday gift for Will. As they were in a store looking for a gift, a bullet went speeding past Derek's head. Throwing his arms over his mom and Stiles, he drove to the floor, pulling them down with him.

"What is going on?!" Stiles shouts. He could hear the store alarm going off and the panicking customers diving for hiding places.

"Everyone evacuate!" a security team member yells. In a flash of limbs, Talia, Derek and Stiles are off the ground and running for the door. After everyone was outside, realization finally hit the trio. Those bullets were meant for them. As the sirens blared in the distance, coming closer with every second, they knew that their troubles were far from over.

* * *

 Lydia and Allison were going to the mall to get some new makeup. After walking all over the mall, to find the one brand of makeup that didn't break their skin out, they got tired. So they decided to stop at a cafe a few blocks away and eat out on the outdoor terrace. While ordering, Lydia spotted Aphrodite. She had shades on, but the strawberry blonde could tell that she was rattled. Soon, they heard a loud tearing sound. Everyone looked around, not seeing anything. Next there was a buckling sound and the screeching sound of a rusty metal. Aphrodite sprang out of her seat and jumped back a few feet away, as an awning fell on her table and chair. The awning was made from metal.

"Are you okay?" Allison asked as she ran to Aphrodite. The other woman was still shaking, slowly backing away from where her life could've ended.

"That was no accident!" Lydia exclaimed.

"We need to warn the others," Allison replied. They left immediately, not wanting to waste any time.


	39. Catching Dionysus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack and Interpol finish their operation together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back with chapter 39. We're nearing the end! So expect the plot to pick up.  
> Nearly done with the outline for the fic next on the list. But the chapter number eludes me.

About a little over 3 weeks later, Noah made a decision after getting a report.

"We need to bring all of the suspects we have left in." he announced. The deputies nodded going out to get the suspects.

"Increase your search. Dionysus is still on the list." Tara said to Amaryliss. A few minutes later, the suspects were rounded up and dragged in the station. Several of the suspects were protesting, not happy to be there.

"I can't be here! I have something important to do!" Demeter protested.

"What is that something?" Tara asked.

"I was signed up for rehab. They're expecting me." Demeter responded.

"Then you can go first." Tara replied. A few minutes later, Demeter was in a room being questioned.

"Where were you during the party?" Noah asked.

"I don't know. I was already drunk at that point." Demeter admitted.

"Okay. Thank you for your help. You can go to rehab now." Noah replied, as he ended the questioning. Demeter nodded and stood up, then left the station.

* * *

Chris was pulling into the front yard. He got out of the car4, getting an armful of Peter. The lips that touched his was smoothing and yielding. As he pulled away, Peter mumbled,

"You're my mate. My everything."

"Why now? After all these years, why now?" Chris wondered. Why had Peter never told him when they were first together?

"I only realized it recently. Working together on this case had me thinking about it for so long." Peter admitted to his mate.

"I've loved you. Even when I was with my ex-wife." Chris confessed. Before he placed his hands at the base of Peter's skull and brought him close. He kissed the werewolf, settling decades of pent up feelings of love.

* * *

The Interpol agents and the pack were on a stakeout at the mall. They were waiting for Dionysus to appear. Amaryliss was checking on her team members.

"Team, this is Amaryliss. Have you spotted our target yet?" she was asking.

"No, he's not here in the west section." Luna replied.

"Nor here in the east section." Naruto said. He and Luna were checking the upper level.

"Amaryliss, we have a visual." Derek reported. Immediately, the duo doubled back and returned to where the pack was. Everyone were looking around only to freeze when they saw the fugitive. Dionysus was dressed in feminine clothes. His heels clicked as the bangles on his wrists jingled. The swish of his skirt revealed a mark on his leg that was in many profiles.

"Oh my God! How is he even staying upright in those heels?" Allison breathed. Lydia nodded her agreement. Stiles and several pack members were staring at the disguised man in disbelief. A moment later, Peter and Chris walked into the mall. The Alpha was tracked back to the area. The duo met up with the search party.

"Why are Chris and Uncle Peter here? And while on that subject, why is Chris wearing your shirt?" Cora asked them. Several teenagers perked up in interest, they zoomed in on the now flustered Chris.

"That's not what's important!" Chris yelled with a furious blush. In the meantime, Peter was sniffing around.

"I smell him. That's the Alpha!" Peter said as he sniffed around. He looked towards Dionysus and pointed him out. All attention moved off Chris much to his everlasting relief.

"What is he talking about?" Shikamaru asked in confusion.

"They can explain after you get him!" Laura replied. The agents nodded before moving in. Dionysus didn't have time to turn around before the cuffs were on. The agents were reading him his rights as they dragged him out of the crowd and out of the mall.

* * *

 The pack piled into Stiles' home. They had an emergency meeting.

"The Alpha is Dionysus. Peter sniffed him out at the mall and the Interpol took him in." Laura announced, as she began the meeting.

"Cross Dionysus off the list." Stiles declared as he drew a line through said suspect's name.

"How do we even know that Alyssa's birth parents are killing people?" Lydia wanted to know.

"Her adoptive parents are already dead. I have the death certificates." Danny explained.

"That leaves 4 suspects." Boyd stated.

"What about the murder attempt on Aphrodite? We could cross off more names if we investigate it." Allison offered.

"She could be an accomplice. We haven't heard from her for most of the investigation." Jackson suggested.

"We never really thought about that." Scott admitted.

"We'll look in her, everyone is to work overtime tonight. We have a limited amount of suspects. But that raises the stakes. Don't get cocky and don't spill any secrets." Derek announced. The pack was dismissed and left to their individual work.

* * *

Stiles drove into the Hale's driveway. He walked up to the door, knocking and waiting for someone to answer. A few minutes later the door flung open to reveal Cora.

"Oh hey, Stiles! Come on in." Cora smiled as she opened the door and stepped aside.

"I'm here to help Derek research." Stiles replied smiling, as he entered the house. Cora led Stiles to her brother's room.

"Hey, Stiles. We can work in the den." Derek smiled as he pushed past his sister. He kissed the younger man's lips. A few minutes later, the trio was in the den going through their case notes.

"Okay. Let's start from the beginning. Where did we first see Aphrodite?" Stiles asked the others.

"At the party." Derek responded.

"Allison was complaining about her making passes at Chris." Cora mentioned.

"Should we say anything to Peter?" Stiles wanted to know.

"I wouldn't recommend it. Peter's pretty possessive." Derek responded.

"I see. It's a werewolf thing." Stiles raised his eyebrows.

"Alright so, we found out she makes money from the oldest profession in the world." Cora read her notes.

"Is there a possible connection between her, Zeus and Ares?" Derek asked.

"She was a contact in their phone records." Cora declared.

"Well, she probably had some encounters with them. Anything else?" Stiles responded.

"That's pretty much it." Cora replied.

"Alright, I'm going to make us some lunch and then we can watch the Princess Bride," Derek smiled. Stiles kissed him and packed up his books. He loved his boyfriend.


	40. One Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything that the pack wanted to avoid happens in one day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back with chapter 40. Sorry if it is kinda short. We're getting close to the end. If everything all pans out, I should be able to begin the Matchmaking fic next month.

Allison and Lydia were at the movie theater. They were waiting for 'Thor: Dark World' to begin. The girls spoke quietly as the previews played.

"I hope it has more plot than the first Thor movie. I don't want the romance to downplay it." Allison was saying.

'Well, our romance could be better than Jane and Thor's," the strawberry blond responded. Allison choked on a piece of popcorn.

"Um, what do you mean?" she asked, sounding flustered.

"I like you, Allison. It took me awhile to see it. After we broke up with our boyfriends and were there for each other. I realized that you have someone really special, if they stick by you for that long." Lydia responded.

"I've felt the same way for some time, Lyds. I just didn't want to put you on the spot and ruin our friendship." Allison admitted. Then Thor 2 started. A few hours later, as the credits rolled, the girls were walking out of the theater hand in hand. All of sudden, Allison froze in her tracks, as she spotted someone who wasn't supposed to be there.

"Hello, Matt," Lydia hissed, as she stepped in front of Allison.

"What are you doing here?" Allison asked the boy warily.

"Just going to see Thor 2," the teen deflected. He wasn't about to admit to following Allison. He wasn't stupid nor suicidal. Matt walked around the girls going in the theater.

"We should tell the Sheriff," Lydia suggested after the boy was out of earshot.

"I already sent him a text," Allison replied, hurrying out of the building. She needed some fresh air badly.

* * *

Tara had Matt in handcuffs, leading him to the cells. She walked him into the cell, unlocked the cuffs, and turned to shut the cell door. He stared her down, obviously upset that he was caught.

Meanwhile, in the cell down the hallway, Dionysus was nearly out. All he had to do was to break the metal bars and sneak out before the next deputy came to begin his shift. He had been waiting for his chance. The metal broke and fell to the ground, causing a thud. Dionysus sneaked to the back door and opened it. He was well out of range within 5 minutes. A few minutes later, the deputy walked down the hallway and found an empty cell. The pieces of the bars were lying on the ground.

"Guys, we have an inmate on the loose! I repeat on the loose!" the deputy yelled as he ran to the front desk. The station was locked down and the deputies were sent out on patrol. John was phoning the teenagers and the Hales. They agreed to be on alert. Especially Stiles.

* * *

Scott and Isaac were in Scott's room, playing Infamous. Scott was manning the controller and Isaac was watching his blind spots.

"So, I heard about the mate thing," Isaac started when the game paused.

"From who?" Scott asked, wanting to know who told.

"Oh nobody. Just Erica, Boyd, Stiles, Mrs. Hale, Derek, Sheriff Stilinski. Really no one at all." Isaac responded.

"Woah, what?! What did they say?!" Scott yelled before he shot up from his spot on the bed.

"Is it true?" Isaac asked. The curly-haired boy wanted answers!

"What do you mean?" Scott tried to deflect.

"Is it true? Am I your mate?" Isaac wasn't about to let the werewolf off the hook.

"It's true. I didn't know how to say it." Scott finally admitted.

Well, how did everyone else know before I did? Did you tell them?" Isaac asked.

"I only said something to Laura and Peter because I needed advice." Scott answered.

"I was the last to know. That seems very strange." Isaac replied. He knew that Boyd had been the first person Erica told. If Mrs. Hale and the others had suspected, they weren't talking.

"The wolfsbane incident gave it away. Remember in the morning after, Derek kept dropping hints all over the place?" Scott explained. His human side was still mortified, while his wolf was smug. He couldn't care less if anyone knew. The curly-haired boy was theirs!

"Well, I'd love to be your mate." Isaac smiled.

"You already are," Scott kissed Isaac.

* * *

Danny, Laura and Jackson were looking around the bookstore. Laura was giving the two teens a suspicious look. For the last 2 or so weeks, the teens had been acting strange. They kept blushing or avoiding the other.

"You guys keep blushing. What is going on?" Laura asked the duo. The two boys were flustered.

"It's nothing," Danny finally responded.

"This doesn't look like nothing." Laura retorted.

"Hey, is that Hera?" Jackson says, quickly changing the subject. The group turned and saw the woman. Hera looked to be on edge. She was looking behind her every few seconds and she was jittery. Suddenly the bookshelf that towered over her fell. She jumped back, knocked on her butt by the loud sound. As the shocked salespeople descended on her. Some of the staff carefully put the shelf back to rights, and picked up the books. The group were leaving the store and phoning the Sheriff. They needed to straighten this out and find the killer.

* * *

The pack was frantic. An emergency meeting was set up to figure out what was going on.

"What happened? Why were we called here?" Isaac asked into confusion.

"Matt got arrested for violating the restraining order at the theater." Allison answered. The brunette girl was relieved that one problem was taken care of.

"Someone tried to kill Hera." Danny announced, resulting into a shocked pack.

"We need to reenact what happened at the party. It's the only way to close this case." Stiles announced. The pack sat down and started mapping out the timeline of events the night of Oct 5th. They needed everything to be clear in order to make this work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Matt situation may seem anti-climatic, but to be honest, I wanted to tie that loose end up before I end this fic. The main mystery and Dionysus manhunt has my complete focus. Both villains agree they want the end to be more dramatic.


	41. Reenact

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack act out the party and take a closer look at what happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 41, and the beginning of the end! Two more major chapters and 1 epilogue and we're finally done. However, I'm not exactly sure when chapter 42 will come out. It depends on how the rest of the week goes.

All of the pack gathered at the Winter household. Noah and some of the deputies were standing guard in case unwanted guests were tempted to put in an appearance. The rest of the police deptartment was either back at the station or helping with the manhunt for Dionysus. Everyone had brought their props. Someone even bought some spotlights and set them up around the room. They needed everything just right in order to reenact the scene, in the den. A makeshift stage had been set up complete with scenery for Acts I-III.

"Is everyone in place and ready to start?" Derek asked.

"Yes we are," Lydia answered with everyone backing her up. They were ready to begin the scenario.

* * *

Everyone were in their places, several pack members were playing the parts of Rose and the other guests. Since the guests were indisposed and unable to be there. All of sudden, the room went dark as a spotlight shone on Laura.

"Rose was actively talking about her book when Stiles and the Argents arrived." she began as the room went dark. The spotlight shone on Cora, as she pretended to talk with the other party guests. When the scene ended, the lights switched to Laura.

"Rose was next seen by Hermes." she announced. The stage went dark, then Isaac was shown, as he crept up to the study, passing by Cora reading a letter, and several other guests. A moment later, he turned back down the steps, running into Jackson and Lydia on the way down. As the scene ended, the lights faded out and Laura was back.

"Rose was both seen and heard by Stiles." she spoke. Then the spotlight swung to Stiles as the teen went from door to door opening them and peeking in. As he stopped at a door, furious shouting could be heard as a door slammed open, and Cora came flying out with an angry Scott in hot pursuit.

"I heard Rose and Ares arguing over God knows what. Ares wasn't happy when he realized that I heard everything." Stiles explained. Scott attempted to threaten Stiles. He was at the point of invading Stiles' personal space, when Derek came to the rescue. The beta werewolf snarled at Scott, his eyes flashing blue. Moments later, the scene ended, and the lights came back on.

"Okay, we need to analyze these scenes more." Laura finished.

* * *

"Okay, so how could the killer get back in time to look nonchalant and innocent?" Stiles asked.

"What I want to know is why you never told us about how Derek nearly wolfed out on Ares?" Erica cut in. Cora tried hard not to smile as Derek glared at the unrepentant teens.

"Ahem! Now, where were we? Oh, we definitely need to reenact what happened before the blackout so we can find the answer to Stiles' question." Laura spoke. So everyone reenacted the scenarios up to until the blackout. That's when they stopped to think.

"The blackout wasn't an accident. This house is old but its technology and electric wires are updated perfectly." Rob announced.

"That matches up with Elizabeth's notes." Erica spoke up, nodding in agreement.

"We need to finish reenacting. Beginning with what happened after the blackout." Derek suggested. The pack got into positions. It was time to pick out the wolf into sheep's clothing.

* * *

The stage was divided in the middle as the pair of Peter and Chris went from door to door on one side. They opened the door and peeked inside. In the meantime Derek and Stiles were doing the same on the other side. Laura was off to the side narrating.

"After the lights were up and running, Rob went down to the basement to check the circuit box. Uncle Peter, Derek, Stiles and Chris went upstairs." Laura explained. Then the stage went dark, as the spotlight lit up revealing Chris.

"We found someone on the second floor." Chris began. Then the focus switched to Peter.

"We saw Zeus, Hephaestus, and Athena. They weren't supposed to be there, so we were surprised to see them." Peter finished up as the stage went dark.

"We've cleared them already." Boyd stated. The spotlight shone on Derek as the beta werewolf began to speak.

"We then went to the third floor and found Dionysus and Elizabeth. While we did clear them, Elizabeth was the one who heard Rose fighting with her killer. She said that the voice was too familiar to her." Derek revealed.

"This is still not clearing up. We need to keep reviewing." Erica sighed.

"However, the deputies need to get back to their posts. So let's move elsewhere." Peter suggested. Everyone nodded and split up to begin to take down the stage.

* * *

About a hour later, the pack was gathered around the table at Stiles' house. They had their notes out, reviewing what they had again.

"Wait, didn't Hermes give a statement? I don't see it here." Cora asked.

"I took it. It's here." Noah responded holding up a tape cassette, with a copy of Hermes' written confession. He passed the paper around.

"Hermes saw everyone when he was upstairs." Derek stated.

"Poseidon was also upstairs." Allison mentioned, as she finished reading the confession.

"Wait! What's the names of Alyssa's birth parents? We need to know." Stiles asked as he frantically searched through the notes.

"Paul Lawson and Diana Lightfoot, why?" Danny answered.

"Does we have Poseidon and Demeter's last names?" Stiles continued his line of questioning.

"Their last names are Lovegood and Longbottom respectively." Lydia stated.

"Wait, you don't actually think-?" Scott asked.

"Yes," was Stiles' grim answer.

"Okay, we'll look into them." Derek spoke. While the pack was discussing the case, Dionysus was busily sneaking into the back door. He reached the den within moments. The group turned as a door slammed. The group gasped when they saw the intruder. Isaac jumped up and tackled him. Unfortunately, Dionysus was able to throw Isaac off easily. The Alpha jumped up and grabbed the nearest person who turned out to be Danny. He gripped the stunned teen tightly.

"We're going to have some fun," Dionysus chuckled darkly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I'm evil. But that's the point! I want everyone to keep reading to the very end!


	42. Closed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revelations change the case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another chapter! One more chapter and the epilogue left and this fic is over. If everything pans out, ch1 for the new fic should be posted the week next.

Unknown to Dionysus, Noah had sent a text to Ryan. Law officials converged on the Stilinski household, parking their cars up and down the streets. The police had their car lights on but not the sirens. Interpol agents and the deputies had their guns drawn, as they entered the front door quietly. Meanwhile in the den, Dionysus was holding the pack at bay. His extended claws were clasped around Danny's neck, nearly piercing the arteries.

"You really think a measly human can keep me down? You're complete fools!" the alpha jeered.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Jackson yelled. The teen had tears in his eyes.

"Oh? What does we have here? A lovesick pup? How pathetic!" Dionysus taunted.

"Of course, I love him. We've been there for each other since we were five! Danny will always be the one I love! I love you, Danny Mahealani." Jackson cried.

"Jackson-," Danny began. Before he could finish, the authorities burst in. Dionysus threw Danny aside and tried to run. But Shikamaru got there first, taking him down using wolfsbane bullets instead of regular bullets. The alpha went down cursing when he saw the black veins. Two deputies put restraints on him and dragged the furious alpha out. One by one, everyone filed out of the room, leaving Danny and Jackson alone.

"I love you too, Jackson." Danny finished, as he kissed his best friend. He had been so close to dying. Never again would he wait to tell someone of his feelings.

* * *

The pack walked into Demeter's house. The woman had called them asking to talk with them.

"Why did you call us here?" Allison asked.

"Nearly 42 years ago, I had a baby girl and gave her up for adoption. Her name was Alyssa." Demeter confessed. The majority of the group was looking shocked, while Scott and Cora didn't seem to be surprised.

"Stiles was right-wait where did he go?" Scott replied. Everyone looked around realizing that Derek and Stiles was nowhere to be seen. While everyone was realizing that the duo was missing, the killer was on the prowl. He wanted to get to Hera, having attempted a trap for Aphrodite the day before. He found himself outside Hera's house, and looked around. Spotting a open window, he headed in that direction and slipped inside. He ended up in a bathroom, and stepped to the door, padding down the hallway silently. He snuck into the living room, ready to set a deadly trap.

"Well, well, look who we have here." Derek announced. The killer spun around and stared Derek and Stiles down. He was trapped.

* * *

Derek and Stiles was blocking all exits, while Hera was sitting in a chair looking horror-stricken.

"Poseidon, it's over. You've been caught." Stiles said.

"Are you mad? What would I gain from killing people?" Poseidon responded.

"Revenge for Alyssa's death. You want them dead because they either killed your daughter or knew too much." Derek stated.

"And your name always wasn't Poseidon, you was born Paul Lawson." Stiles finished. 

"How did you kill everyone without being caught for so long?" Hera spoke in horror, she knew who Paul Lawson was. Having done her own background check on Alyssa.

"He took advantage of the festivities. He got to the study and hid with a pillow then killed Rose during an argument. We were all busy dancing to the music, so no one could hear Rose if she screamed. However when he went after Ares, he put up a fight. So Poseidon ended up chasing Ares to the living room where he was stabbed and had his throat slit. He castrated him right after." Stiles began. Hera gasped in horror. 

"How did he orchestrate Zeus and Elizabeth's deaths? That confuses me, since they were killed within the same time frame." Derek asked.

"Poseidon kidnapped Elizabeth and held her captive hoping to find out what she knew. Then he went to kill Zeus and froze his body. When Elizabeth wouldn't talk, he killed her too, and hid her body in the forest. He knocked Jade out and burned her house down." Stiles explained.

"What about the attempts, how did he manage to be in two places at the same time?" Derek continued his line of questioning.

"He hired someone to try to kill Derek here, his mom and I, while he was sawing at the awing. Finally he pushed the bookshelves on top of Hera, however he barely missed." Stiles finished. Everyone looked at Poseidon.

"Well, I'm not going to prison. I've done what I needed to do. I've done my job and kept my promise to Alyssa. The important persons know where to find you and Nimue now." Poseidon promised, directing the final sentence to Hera. Before the teens could stop him, Poseidon put the gun to his head and pulled the trigger. His blood splattered all over the wall behind him, and the duo were in shock. Hera began screaming in horror. They had stopped the murders but at the price of another life. It was finally over.

* * *

Derek and Stiles were on Rose's family porch. Her parents were looking at them, waiting for some answers.

"We found your daughter's killer but he's dead." Derek said.

"Rose found out that an innocent girl was raped and murdered and wrote a book on it. However, her father was on a revenge spree and thought that she was in the way." Stiles explained.

"I should be angry but I just wish she was here today." Mr. Johnson stated sadly. Derek and Stiles exchanged looks remembering another parent' sorrow and joy when she had first been told that her daughter was avenged.

_Hera and Aphrodite had been discovered to be Miranda Weatherly and Nimue Gilmore, accomplices to aggravated rape and first degree murder. They were promptly arrested after Poseidon committed suicide. The deputies were escorting them to the holding cells, when the confused trio of Emma, Demeter and Doug entered the station. Demeter was confused. Why was Emma and Doug here and why was she even called in?_

_"We've called you here because Alyssa's surviving killers have been brought in and arrested. She can rest in peace now." Derek explained. Shocked silence fell, tears filled Demeter and Emma's eyes. Doug looked relieved, he still remembered the poor girl and how determined she had been despite her terror at the death threats she had received.  
_

_"Poseidon Lovegood killed Rose and all the others. Because Zeus and Ares raped and killed your daughter. Poseidon also was Alyssa's real father." Stiles added. Demeter was shocked and disappointed in Paul. While she understood why he had done it, Alyssa never would have wanted her beloved father to become a murderer. The trio hugged, their little girl and friend finally had closure. They knew who killed her and who killed for her. They could finally move on._

* * *

_  
_ Now that Matt and the alpha were behind bars and Poseidon dead, their troubles were over. So Derek and Stiles decided to celebrate.

"We should have a date to ourselves." Stiles suggested to his mate.

"Where should we go?" Derek asked.

"How about a play or a movie with dinner?" Stiles responded.

I want to see a musical. And let's go to that sushi place downtown." Derek replied.

"What do you think about going to see Grease?" Stiles wanted to know.

"Sure." Derek replied.

"It's a date then," Stiles smiled, kissing his boyfriend and mate.


	43. Cooling Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack begins to enjoy life again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the final chapter! Ch 44 is the epilogue, and I can move on to the next title on my list. However my focus will be split between RecAA and the Matchmaking one. With the matchmaking fic being updated each 5 chapters, for LoOP. While there is 8 chapters left, there are two one shots planned.  
> By the way, my mystery muses left on a very long vacation. If the chapter is too short, that's why.

Everyone was at the airport. The pack was saying goodbye to the Interpol agents. Hermes and Dionysus had been sent on ahead to England to await trial.

"Thank you all for making this capture successful." Amaryliss said.

"It was no problem. We just wanted to make our town safer." Laura smiled. Then the flight number was called. The agents gathered their bags and waved goodbye. They walked to the terminal, boarded the plane and headed back to their main headquarters.

* * *

The teens were on a group date to the annual country fair. It was the first time Danny and Jackson went out on a public date. After buying their tickets, the friends looked around at their surroundings. The fair grounds were packed. People were buying tickets and playing fair games. They also were in lines for rides and snacking on food.

"Where do you want to go first?" Allison asked her friends.

"I want to look at the game booths." Jackson answered.

"I want something to eat and see if I can win some plushies." Erica decided.

"I'm going to use this wristband and get on the rides." Scott replied.

"Same here!" Stiles said as he tried to drag his boyfriend to the Ferris Wheel.

"It's safe to separate. So let's go and do our own things." Lydia suggested. The group nodded as they split up and went to have fun. They needed this treat, after the last 9 months.

* * *

Meanwhile, Peter and Chris went to meet with Rob and Grace. They had some good news to share.

"Rob, Grace, how lovely to see you again." Peter smiled.

"The same can be said for you and Chris. However, do you have any news?" Rob responded smiling.

"The Alpha has been captured. He is in England and is awaiting a trial." Chris announced, glossing over details.

"That's amazing news!" Grace sighed in relief. Then she hugged Peter and Chris and invited them to lunch. The couple accepted without hesitation.

* * *

After eating lunch, Peter and Chris went back to Chris' house for alone time. They watched a movie and snuggled together. The adults was so comfortable, they forgot about their surroundings until about a hour later.

"Hey, dad!" Allison yelled as her and some pack members walked in the room to find a surprise. They stopped dead when they saw Peter's arms wrapped around Chris' waist, placing a kiss to his lips. Peter sensed multiple heartbeats and froze. He looked to see the teens, and him and Chris sprang apart.

"When were you going to say something?" Isaac asked staring at the older men.

"Oh man! I owe Cora $20!" Allison whined.

"Allison! It's wrong to make bets on someone's love life!" Chris scolded his daughter.

"So, when are you getting married?" Cora butted in.

"Cora!" Peter exclaimed, as he glared at his niece. The adults forgot about the gambling for the moment, much to Allison's eternal relief.

* * *

 The Hale house was filled with people. The family was having a party to celebrate the crime wave being over. Deputies milled around with several of their friends. Noah and Stiles entered the living room, just in time to see most of the pack paying Cora. The adults were looking amused when Chris and Peter was looking dismayed. Stiles saw his father's confused stare.

"Cora won the pool." the teen explained.

"I think it's funny." Talia chuckled.

"Whatever, Talia," Peter grumbled. Then the adults turned back to the party.

"I wonder what amount the pool ended at." Stiles chuckled, as he continued walking towards where his friends and mate stood at.

"How about we do a pool for Peter proposing to Chris?" Jackson was saying to the other teens.

"Oh God, yes! But, please don't tell my dad." Allison replied. She really didn't want to have to listen to another lecture! Several teens echoed their approval to the new betting pool.

"Oh brother," Noah sighed as he went back to join his friends at the party. These kids are weird.


	44. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A year after the story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the epilogue. MiBH is finally finished after over 6 months of writing nonstop. I have 2 more mystery fics planned, however writing MiBH took a lot out of me. So I decided to put the fic ideas on hold until 2014. Until then, my mystery muses will be enjoying a well-deserved vacation.

A year to the day after Poseidon's suicide, Noah and the pack was walking out of the courthouse. The pack had been called in to be witnesses for the prosecution. The jury had just finished delivering their verdict and the sentence. Now everything was finally over.

"What does everyone think of the jury's verdict?" Derek asked. Aphrodite and Hera had been sentenced to 30 years in prison for first degree murder and being accessories to aggravated rape.

"I think it was fair." Cora replied.

"Speaking of fair, does anyone know what happened to Dionysus and Hermes?" Allison asked.

"Hermes got prison time. Dionysus is on death row." Derek stated.

"Was he put on trials by humans or were there hunters involved?" Lydia asked curiously.

"We don't know. We might never know." Noah responded.

* * *

Peter and Chris were sitting in the den at Rob's house. Rob and Grace were seated across from them.

"How is Tara doing?" Chris asked Rob and Grace.

"She's going through puberty. God knows how that will be like now that she is a werewolf." Grace responded.

"Has she turned yet?" Peter asked.

"Yes. It was hard hearing her scream." Rob replied.

"I can ask Talia to come by. She's the pack Alpha." Peter suggested. Rob smiled and thanked Peter for the idea. A hour later, after the friends said their good-byes, the couple left the house. Out in the driveway, Peter stopped Chris from getting into his car. Reaching in his pocket, he pulls out a velvet box. He opened it to show a platinum ring.

"I think it's time to answer Cora's question." he spoke.

"Oh my god. Yes. I'll marry you." Chris breathed. Peter placed the ring on Chris's finger and hugged him. After Chris returned the hug, Peter kissed his fiance's lips. He was ecstatic.

* * *

The pack was at the Stilinski house for dinner. Some of the teens was in the kitchen helping cook pizza for dinner. There would be tossed salad greens and garlic bread to go with the pizza.

"What are your planned major? Mine is something to do with computers, Jackson wants to study law." Danny began.

"Scott and I want to become veterinarians." Isaac responded.

"The choices are between studying law or becoming coaches. We aren't sure yet." Allison admitted.

"I'm going into graphic design. Boyd is going to police academy." Erica spoke up.

"I'm going in the detective force. Derek has a sports scholarship." Stiles explained.

"I want to be a teacher." Cora stated.

"Come on. Let's go and watch the Proposal." Isaac laughed, ending the conservation. Then the majority of the teens left the kitchen, leaving Stiles to finish making dinner with Derek's help.

* * *

Isaac and Scott was meeting with Melissa and Deaton to discuss their plans for the future.

"We want to open up our own clinics and take care of animals. Maybe even strays." Scott started.

"That sounds great." Deaton responded.

"Do you have any idea how much it will cost?" Melissa asked.

"We're working on that now." Isaac replied.

"Smart move." Deaton agreed. He understood the need for planning ahead all too well.

* * *

The pack was having a graduation party. It was a lively celebration of the group;'s success. The dinner menu was chicken on the BQ. A veggie platter and a fruit bowl had been set up on the table with pasta and potato salads. Coolers had been filled with ice and various kinds of soda. The dessert table was full, with a cupcake stand filled with chocolate cupcakes and red butter-cream frosting on top. The ice-cream was inside, waiting to be served later. A tray of chocolate-chip and oatmeal cookies was also on the table. 

The pack threw up their hats. As the adults took pictures. They were so proud of themselves.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a comment! I enjoy receiving constructive criticism.


End file.
